Dancing in the dark
by Lisaslovestories
Summary: I was alone now, deserted by all my noble senses. You know that old saying, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter"? Yeah, they should put that sign outside the elevator, but change it to "Abandon hope, all ye who enter with Edward Cullen." E&B, AH. Lemony..
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: S. Meyer owns Twilight.**

**This started out as a one shot written in the middle of the night, but turned out to be the hottest and funniest thing I've written :) Feisty, tequila drinking, pole dancing and smart mouth Bella meets stubborn heartrob Edward and the result is.. A struggle of the most powerful wills you've ever encountered.. **

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**Chapter 1**

"Come on Bella, you know you want to!" Alice's voice was so excided and happy that I could do nothing but laugh at her, she was freaking ecstatic and jumping up and down. I shook my head and smiled at my best friend, there was no way I could refuse her when she looked like that, and she knew it.

"Okay, but you're going with me, shortie" I winked at her and she beamed, clapping her hands together.

"I thought you'd never ask! Come on let's go!" Alice took my hand and dragged me across the crowded dance floor, ignoring the fact that she separated numerous couples who were dancing when she made her way towards the stage. She was thrilled that I had agreed and I was too drunk to care what people said so I just followed her, giggling when the men we walked pass turned their heads and looked us over with obvious lust in their eyes. I wasn't surprised at the reactions we got, I knew we always looked good and tonight, well let's just say even the married men stared at us a little too long.

I was wearing sky high black Jimmy Choo's, bare legs and a tight black dress that was almost to short even for my taste. Alice had reassured me that my panties weren't showing but from the looks my ass got, I wasn't so sure. I was beyond caring by this point though, that last shot of tequila had made me throw all thoughts of decency out the window. So I didn't care that the dress was too short or that the cleavage was just a little too much. I felt sexy as hell and I was going to enjoy being young and single in New York. Alice pulled my hand eagerly to make sure I was following, and the 3 big silver rings I was wearing pressed into my skin kind of hard and it brought me back to the present.

I looked up and saw that we were now standing in front of the stage, and I felt slightly nervous, despite the tequila, as I gazed at the people dancing rather dirty on stage. When I looked over to the right I saw a blond woman sliding down a stripper pole with her head first and her legs sticking up in the air. I gulped, hoping that wasn't what Alice had in mind that we would do. Dirty dancing I could do, but I knew better than to get anywhere near a stripper pole ever again.

Yeah, I said again. Been there, done that, broke that leg, wont be trying that shit again. I think.

Alice spun around suddenly, a wicked smile on her lips as she raised her eyebrow and cocked her head to where the girl on the pole where now grinding up and down while the men drooled and whistled at her.

"How about a rematch between Bella the dirty dancer and The infamous legbreaker? I know you can take him, and don't think that I don't see you're thinking about it!"

I shook my head, laughing at her since she had just read my mind.

"Uh huh, you would need to get me seriously wasted before I place my sweet little butt anywhere near that death trap again!" I said the words, but my eyes wandered over and I saw that the blond was now dancing around the pole and throwing her hair like a god damn porn star.

I could so take her. 12 years of yoga and aerobics had made me quite bendy if I said so myself.

Alice looked over my shoulder then and shrieked excitedly at something.

"Well Bella, looks like that butt problem is solved!" She yelled, I could hardly hear her over the extremely loud music that was playing but I turned around to see what had caught her eye.

"Aaaw shit" I moaned, as I saw my other best friend, Rosalie, walk towards us with three ridiculously big glasses in her hands. Alice grabbed one as soon as Rosalie reached us and took a sip before I even had time to blink. Almost as soon as her lips touched the glass though, she recoiled and had a slightly disgusted expression on her face.

"Ewww, Rose, what the hell is this? Pure vodka?" She asked with her eyebrows raised. She sniffed the drink again and wrinkled her nose at it.

Rosalie laughed at Alice's expression and handed me a drink, then she took a huge sip from her own glass.

"I wouldn't say pure, I'm almost certain there's some limejuice in there too" She answered innocently, smacking her lips and smiling at us smugly.

I took a sip of the drink, and was a bit surprised because the alcohol taste didn't come of that strong to me.

Man, I must be drunk.

Alice muttered something but took another sip.

"I propose a toast" I yelled, trying to make my voice heard over the music that seemed to grow louder by the minute. Alice and Rose raised their glasses immediately, waiting for me to continue.

"To great friends, short dresses, tequila and pole dancing" I yelled and clinked my glass with theirs as they both burst out in laughter. We started chugging the vodka down, and I knew that neither of us would quit before everything was gone. We were incredibly competitive and no one wanted to be the weak one at drinking.

I gasped for air as I placed the glass down on the table beside me with a bang; it was empty, of course. I did a little victory dance as I finished first, and when I looked up my eyes met with a pair of the most amazing green eyes across the dance floor. I smiled seductively as I scanned the man with narrowed eyes; he was without doubt the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen.

His hair was a messy disarray of bronze glory, his chiselled features visible even in the dark room. My heart skipped a beat when I saw his lips; he had the most beautiful crooked smile as he scanned me much the same way that I was looking at him. When my eyes met his again, after having almost drowned in that freaking panty dropping smile, he winked at me.

He fucking winked at me.

Right then, the vodka decided to take over and I was no longer in control of my actions. With one last look at the green eyed God, I turned to my friends. They were laughing and choking as they argued over who had finished first, both of them jumping up and down and looking hysterical, in a good way of course.

I noticed how every man within 20 feet from us where looking at us with nothing less than amazement on their faces.

Yeah, I told you we looked good. Even drunk as hell we still had the whole clubs attention.

"Girls! I'm gonna go kick that mother fucking pole's ass. Catch me if I fall down, okay?" I called over the music, looking at the pole with determination.

Hell yeah I was doing this, that pole wouldn't know what hit him. And neither would green eyed God when I was finished shaking my ass up there.

Alice and Rose looked stunned for half a second before they started shouting again, cheering me on. Alice reached out and smacked my ass when I turned around to get on stage. I turned my head towards where green eyed God had been, and saw that he was still watching me, and that freaking smile was still on his lips. I made the decision right there that I would have those lips on me before the night was over.

When I got up on stage, which was slightly difficult as vodka and high heels aren't the best combination, I was immediately greeted with loud cheering from the crowd. I smiled when I saw the men moving towards the stage with their mouth's hanging open, completely forgetting the girls they had just been dancing with.

Did I mention how short my dress was? Yeah, I wasn't joking.

The blond girl had moved away to dance with some guy on the other side of the stage, so the pole was all mine.

I was going to take that fucker down.

Afterwards, I wouldn't remember what the hell I did up there, but Alice and Rosalie told me that my performance was the hottest thing they had ever seen. And those girls had been to a fucking Beyonce concert, so I knew I'd done a good job.

My consciousness came back to me just as the song I'd been dancing to ended, and I did one of my trademark moves to finish of. With my back against the pole, I slowly began to slide down while giving everyone in the crowd my sexiest teasing smile. I knew my dress was even higher up now and that the people in the front could probably get a glimpse of my black lace panties but I didn't care, I was having too much fun.

Everyone, and I do mean everyone, clapped their hands together, whistled and shouted out their approval when I stood back up and beamed at the crowd.

I was feeling high from the rush of dancing in front of the whole club, and from the fact that I knew green eyed God hadn't been able to take his eyes of me during the whole dance.

Oh yeah, he was so mine.

When I got of stage Alice and Rosalie were there in a second and shouted about how hot I had looked and that I should totally do that for a living. I snickered, thinking that if I had His eyes on me the whole time, I could absolutely do it all day long.

I looked for him in the crowd, ignoring all the guys who came up to me and tried to offer to buy me a drink. I'd already made my choice for the night, and I wasn't settling for anyone but him.

I started feeling slightly anxious when I glanced around the room and didn't spot him, I had thought he would come up to me straight away after I had flirted my ass of with him while I was dancing.

Ah heck, I thought. Maybe he was shy, guys like him was always too good to be true.

Not that I had ever seen a man as gorgeous as him, but still. I needed a man who wasn't afraid to go out and get what he wanted, someone who could keep up with me since I was quite a force of nature when it came down to going after what I desired.

If he wasn't man enough for it, well then he wasn't man enough to handle me.

I followed Alice and Rosalie out on the dance floor and we were immediately surrounded by at least 4 good looking men. I knew I could dance well, and I wasn't afraid to let go and get crazy, especially with 6 shots of tequila in my body.

I was on a high tonight.

We danced to the music that was so loud I couldn't even hear what Alice was shouting at me, she was gesturing with her head to something behind me but I was too caught up in the music to care.

I suddenly felt two hands on my waist, and turned around to see who it was.

I was now standing face to face with green eyed God, and my mouth almost fell open.

If I had thought he looked good at a distance, it was nothing compared to how he looked now. Those green eyes seemed to pierce right through me, his features was so stunning that he looked like he'd been airbrushed to complete perfection. His bronze hair was the most beautiful tangled mess I'd ever seen, and I just wanted to reach out and slide my fingers through it, to see if it could possibly be as soft as it looked.

That smile was still in place, and his lips were so perfect I had to blink to clear my head, just looking at him made me dizzy.

Damn, he sure as hell was nothing short of a God.

His hands were still on my waist, and it felt like a jolt of electricity running through my body at his touch.

I had never wanted anything more in my life than I wanted him at that moment. He overshadowed every other thought, I didn't even feel drunk from the alcohol anymore, I was now completely intoxicated by his presence.

"Hi there" He whispered in my ear. I almost fainted when his lips brushed against my skin; his voice was just as attractive as the rest of him. And his smell… I took a large breath, breathing in the most amazing scent I'd ever come across.

"Hi" I whispered back, slightly breathless. I had never been nervous around a guy before, but something about him made my knees weak. Good thing he was holding me.

Oh God he was still holding me. Please make him never let go.

"I couldn't help to notice you before, you light up the entire room, you know that? I simply had to meet you." His lips were still at my ear, and my skin tingled when he touched me.

"I'm glad I caught your attention." I said, less breathless this time. I was beginning to remember who I was, and Bella Swan always knew how to get what she wanted. And right now, I wanted him. Badly. I decided to hell with letting him make the first move, that wasn't my style anyway, so I grabbed a hold of his neck and stared into those hypnotic green eyes. My hands ran up to tangle in his hair, and of course it was just as soft as I had imagined.

"Follow me" I whispered, purposely letting my lips touch the skin just under his ear.

I felt his body tremble slightly, and when I met his eyes again they were so filled with desire that I knew we had to get of the dance floor right now, before I couldn't contain my craving for him and end up jumping him right then and there.

I took his hand and led him of away from the crowd, feeling his eyes on me as I walked towards the back door. I pushed it open and before I could even breathe in the cool air outside he had me pushed up against the wall. My entire body was on fire as his lips met mine, and he kissed me with more passion than I had ever felt before. I tried to breathe as his hands moved over my body, firmly and with such enthusiasm that I grabbed his neck and pushed his head closer, needing him to kiss me deeper. And boy, did he ever.

Our tongues met and moved together like they had been made for that single purpose.

My breathing sped up when I felt his hands against my thighs, moving down first and then up, before I felt his fingers under my skirt. His hands were so soft and warm, and I desperately wanted him to touch ever part of me.

I moved my hands from his hair and began pulling the edge of his black t-shirt, I needed very much to feel his skin against mine. He realised what I wanted and with one quick movement he had his shirt of, and then his hands were back on me, pushing my dress up. I moaned as his fingers traced the edge of my black underwear, and pulled him closer as I kissed down his cheek and neck.

I felt him grow hard against me, and quickly began to undo his belt while he lightly nibbled my ear. He pulled my panties down and then his fingers started massaging me, slowly and just the right fucking way. Damn he knew what he was doing; I could hardly concentrate on getting his zipper down when he was touching me like that.

I made it eventually, and then pushed his jeans and boxers down before stroking my hands down his back and pulled him even closer. I needed him inside me, now.

I barley had time to react before he lifted me up so that I was pushed up against the wall with my legs around his waist. He looked me deep in the eyes, a small smile was still playing around the edge of his lips, and then I threw my head back and moaned as I felt him entering me. It was unbelievable, the feeling of him combined with the electricity that was as strong as ever. I closed my eyes and let my fingers slip into his hair again, smiling when I heard him groan as he moved inside me.

I had never experienced anything like it; I couldn't imagine that there was anything in the world that would feel as good as this. He explored my body with his hands while moving with slow, sure movements. I felt my pleasure build, and I knew he was close too as his breathing sped up and he started to push inside me faster and harder. I clutched him closer and pressed my lips against his as we both reached our climax at the same time, something that had never ever happened to me before.

We held on to each other for a long time afterwards, trying to slow our ragged breathing. My heart pounded almost painfully hard as I struggled to calm down, I was so shocked over what we had just shared. It was the best god damn sex I had ever had, without any doubt.

The passion between us was almost touchable, and the way he looked at me confirmed that he felt the same way.

Holy shit this sure as hell was my night.

How could I get these feelings with a man I had barley spoken 10 words to? It was insane but it felt so bloody right, like we'd known each other for years rather than for half an hour.

I heard him draw in a deep breath, and looked at him.

That motherfucking crooked smile was back, and his eyes bored into mine with the force of a black hole. Damn, he looked like he wanted another round.

Just as I felt him harden again, jeez he was unbelievable for sure, the door opened with a bang. I yelped and climbed of him, not really wanting to get caught in that position.

I looked up and met Alice's shocked expression as she took in the scene before her.

I was standing up against the wall, trying to pull my dress down while green eyed God turned around to pull his jeans back up.

Alice shook her head once and then reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me with her. I turned my head and saw him smirking at me as he ran a hand through his tasselled hair. Before I turned back he winked at me again, and chuckled. I smiled back and waved slightly, then Alice pulled me through the door and he disappeared from my view. I was shaking my head to try and come to grips with what had just happened.

Not watching where I walked, I bumped into Alice who had stopped and was now standing in front of me with her hands on her hips, looking like an angry mom about to scold her daughter.

I tried to smile at her, but she narrowed her eyes and looked quite pissed.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was? I didn't fucking see you disappear, and then I find you locked around some guy against a wall? Shit Bella, you know better than that! At least get to know the guy before jumping him!" She yelled at me. I had to strain to hear her over the music, but I think I got the most of it. I just rolled my eyes, I wasn't going to bring up last week when she had thrown herself on a guy after just 10 seconds. I knew she didn't mean anything bad, and I felt like shit for just leaving. But hell, I couldn't keep my hands of him and it was probably better that we didn't have an audience for what we had just done.

"I'm sorry Alice, I didn't mean to just run away like that. It was stupid, I know." I said, hoping she heard me over the loud noise.

She nodded, not completely happy yet but less scolding now anyway. She grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the front door. I looked back to where he still was, he hadn't come through the door yet and I wanted to say something, ask what his name was at least.

Shit, I didn't even know his bloody name. Bad Bella.

"Rosalie isn't feeling so good, we need to get her home before she passes out or something."

Alice's words immediately brought me back, and I knew that I had to take care of my friend before anything else. That's what best friends do.

So I sighed, looking at the door one last time and then followed Alice to where I could see Rosalie sitting. Hell, she did not look okay.

We got her into a cab and went to her place; Alice and I were supposed to crash there so we already had our stuff there. After getting Rosalie into bed we went to sleep in the guestroom.

After putting on our pyjamas we turned the lights out and fell onto the bed.

"So, what was that guys name? He looked like fucking Adonis, I'm impressed Bella." Alice said, and I laughed and tasselled her hair in the dark.

"I don't know, honestly. We never quite got to the whole exchanging name part" I snickered, and Alice looked at me in disbelief.

"What?" She said a bit to loud, I shushed her, afraid she'd wake up Rosalie.

"No, I didn't get his name. We didn't exactly talk…" I said, and got lost in my memories for a minute.

"So you're saying that you let me pry you away from that gorgeous man even though you didn't know his fucking NAME?" Her voice was almost a shout at the last word and I put my hand over her mouth to stop the cursing that followed.

When she stopped, I took my hand away. I sighed deeply before explaining.

"Alice, please don't yell, you'll wake up Rose. I don't know his name, and when I think about it it's probably better that I don't. I can't even describe it, but that was the most amazing sex I have ever had. I had no idea it could be that good, it feels like I dreamed it up or something" I said, and by the look in her eyes she didn't get my point.

"Look, I'm being realistic here. There is no way that there could ever be anything between us, he's probably an asshole or something. Him being a good guy and being able to do that shit he did, that's just too good to be true. I'm better of not knowing if he is an asshole and instead just remembering the day I had the best sex of my entire fucking life."

Even in the dark I could see her rolling her eyes. I gave up, I didn't have the energy to talk about this now. I was fucking tired.

"You're such a pessimist." Alice said. I didn't respond, knowing it was useless to try and convince her of something when she had already made up her mind. She was just as stubborn as me.

"Let's just hope for your sake that you meet him again." She continued.

I shook my head, not saying anything to fuel her on. We drifted of to sleep eventually, and in my dreams I did meet him again. I would never forget those green eyes, or the way he'd touched me. And for the next four days, he was in every single one of my dreams.

_Wednesday._

"Oh shit" I mumbled, staring with half opened eyes at my alarm clock. It was just my luck that the fucker would stop working today of all days, so I wasn't surprised but slightly annoyed that I now had to rush to get ready for work.

I had a new client coming in today, and according to my boss he was quite the hot shot so I really needed to land this one. I worked as an interior designer at the best firm in New York, and I knew that if I did a good job with this new client, I would be made partner.

I felt a thrill go through me, being partner was something I had worked for every single day during my last 5 years at 'Esmee's Designs'. And now the opportunity was here, finally.

I quickly got out of bed and jumped in the shower, I needed to make a good impression today and that included being impeccably clean and looking my very best.

I went through my normal morning routines, except I skipped breakfast in order to blow dry my hair to perfection. After getting dressed in a midnight blue dress that hugged my curves but was long enough to be acceptable at work, a black jacket and black Loubotins I headed outside. I earned an appreciative look from the door man when I passed, and smiled to myself.

The walk to my office wasn't long, and I was glad that I lived on walking distance since my car had broken down the first day I moved here. I hadn't really needed it; I preferred just calling a cab if I was going somewhere that wasn't within walking distance.

When I got there Esmee came to meet me with a huge smile on her lips, she looked absolutely stunning, as usual. Good thing she was happily married to Carlisle for many years now, or else she would have to fight of half the male staff on a daily basis. Instead, she had left that to me. I groaned internally when I spotted Michael Newton out of the corner of my eye, he smiled at me waved. I smiled half heartedly back, not wanting to encourage him.

"Bella you look… I mean wow! You look gorgeous honey!" She took my hand and spun me around so she could inspect my outfit. I laughed and was pleased that I had managed to pull of the 'look my very best' task.

"Thanks Esmee, and may I say so do you! I absolutely love those Manolos, I'm gonna have to borrow them next time we go out, just so you know!" I laughed, I was so lucky to work for someone like Esmee; she was one of my best friends and probably the nicest person on the planet. I adored her.

"Of course sweetie, I'll trade them with those blue Jimmy Choo's of yours and we'll take our little butts out to dace!" She smiled.

"Sounds good to me!" I said, already looking forward to it. And who knows, if we went back to the same place where I had been last weekend, I might get to see green eyed God again.

Damn I still hadn't been able to forget about him, and I had started to regret not getting his name. Alice was right, I was such a pessimist. I should have thought; 'if a man can do that to my body, imagine what he can do with the rest of me'. But no, I had to go all cynical and pretend that I didn't believe in good things. Stupid Bella.

"Come on, your client will be here any minute so get to your office and get ready. I'll send him in when he arrives. Blow his mind, Bella. I'm counting on you!" She walked with me to my large office and smiled warmly before turning around and leaving me.

I took a large breathe and started to mentally prepare myself. I knew this shit, I mean hell I was one of the best designers in the entire country!

After about five minutes I heard a knock on my door. I was sitting behind my large desk and organizing all the papers I would need for this new client, and stood up when the door opened.

Esmee entered and her eyes were huge from excitement. She mimed the words "oh my GOD" and I tried to keep from laughing at her expression. Esmee was quite picky, so this guy had to be something special.

I walked around the desk as Esmee cleared her throat to speak.

"Bella, this is Edward Cullen, your new client." She said, and I looked behind her at the man who just entered my office.

My jaw dropped.

All I could see were those green eyes, and that fucking panty dropping (literally) crooked smile. I forgot to breathe as he stepped towards me.

How the hell was this possible? My green eyed God was here, in my office. He was my new client. Oh shit this was gonna be awkward, I hoped he didn't remember me. Maybe he had been as drunk as me? Oh please let him not remember me.

"Bella, is it?" He asked and chuckled at my reaction. Yeah, he definitely remembered me. The way he said my name made my knees weak, and I was thankful that he at that moment took my hand, I needed the support desperately.

I trembled when I felt that same current flow through me at his touch, and looked up at him in surprise. He had the same expression on his face, and looked quite amused.

I saw Esmee walking out and closing the door behind her, and the room seemed to shake from electricity between us as we were left alone.

I still had his hand in mine, and he was not letting it go. Neither was I.

I tried to think of something to say, but for once in my life I was at a lost for words. The desire started to build up inside me, and that longing to kiss his lips again struck me with such force that I had to shake my head to clear it.

Be professional for fuck sake Bella. He is your client.

_My gorgeous, God like client that had given me the best damn orgasm I'd ever had. _

"Good morning, Mr Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you" I said, trying to keep my voice steady. He was still holding my hand, and now his thumb was stroking my skin softly. My entire body tingled at his touch, and I had to close my eyes for a moment to collect my tangled thoughts.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you." He said in that low, velvety voice of his.

I took in a deep breathe and met his gaze again, and my eyes widened when I saw that his were hungry, and full of desire just like that night…

"I'm hoping you will like what I have planned for you, and that we will get to work together on this." I was able to speak without my voice trembling, and was thankful. God this man had the strongest effect on me I'd ever felt, I could hardly keep myself from jumping him right there in my office.

'Get it together Bella!' I thought to myself.

Edward chuckled again, and moved closer to me. My breathing stopped all together as he placed his hands on my waist and pulled me to him.

"Oh, I'm sure we will work perfectly together" He whispered in my ear, and his warm breath against my skin almost made me faint. How did he do that? I felt dazed and slightly wobbly in my knees.

I looked up into his eyes, and when I saw that fire burning in them, I had no power left to control myself.

Just as I reached up to kiss him, he bent his head down and met me halfway. Our lips moved together perfectly, it truly felt like we had been made for each other. It was heaven, and I never wanted it to stop.

When I felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen, he pulled back slightly and smiled his crooked smile at me.

"I'm glad I found you" He said, holding my gaze.

I shivered a little, enjoying the way his body was pressed to mine.

"I am too, and your right. I'm quite positive that we will be perfect together" I said and claimed his mouth again.

I felt his smile against my lips, and I knew without a doubt that this was going to be a great collaboration.

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_Buckle your seatbelts.. You're in for a ride.._


	2. Chapter 2

_Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own nothing. Not even my car. _

**A/N: So I decided to continue with this story, since I got a really great idea about what was going to happen. **

**I love reviews, so hit me with them!**

**THIS STORY IS RATED M BECAUSE OF MATURE CONTENTS. Please don't read if you are under 18.**

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**Chapter 2**

"Bella? Can I come in?" Mike's voice had never been more unwelcome than right now. I sighed, thoroughly annoyed at the interruption.

Edward had left just a few minutes ago, and I was no where near finished daydreaming about our steamy little make out session yet. I felt like a fucking teenager again, all giddy and dreamy about a cute guy.

Except Edward Cullen was everything but a cute guy… I was starting to think that he had two different personalities, since the Edward that had been in my office today was very, very different from the Edward I had met at the club.

Edward at the club had been charming, gentle and not so forward (compared to me anyway, since it was I who had dragged him from the dance floor). But Edward in my office? Of course he had also been charming, but there was nothing gentle about the way he had pressed his lips against mine after the first rather innocent introduction. The way he had grabbed hold of my waist and pulled me to him spoke of a man who was used to get what he wanted, and used to meeting no resistance. He had commanded the whole act, moving us the way he pleased.

If someone would have asked me two hours ago if I was a woman who let men take the lead, I would have laughed out loud at them. I was Bella Swan, and I never let a man be the one in charge when it came to sex.

But now? After one hour with Edward-green eyed god-Cullen I was a shadow of my former self. What the fuck? Bella Swan didn't get giddy over a man like that, Bella Swan didn't feel breathless when a man touched her and Bella Swan sure as hell didn't talk about herself in third person. I have to get a fucking grip, this was insane.

"Yes, Mike. Come in." I called, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. It wasn't his fault that he had been born with the DNA of a bloody golden retriever, he couldn't help being clingy. Or so I told myself, or else I wouldn't be able to stand him. Better to feel pity than have a hissy fit on a daily basis.

Mike smiled as he entered my office, looking like I had just given him the best present of his life. Oh poor boy, he almost made me consider allowing him a mercy fuck, because surely he couldn't get anything else. But nah, I don't think I could stand having him panting in my ear or feel his sweaty hands all over me. Not to mention it would definitely not help the golden retriever syndrome and I'd probably end up having to bring a crowbar to work.

"How's it going Bella? Did you land the client?" Mike asked, sitting down in the bright red sofa. The sofa where just minutes ago Edward and I had been getting busy…

"Oh yes, I sure did." I answered, trying not to laugh at how accurate his choice of words had been. I landed the client alright, in every sense of the word.

"Congratulations! I guess you're close to your goal now, being partner and all. We should celebrate! Do you want to go out for drinks tonight? The guys and I are heading to Palace, and I think Angela and Kate are coming as well. You up for it?"

Ah hell, I was not the one to turn down a night out, even if Mike would be there. Besides, I really liked Angela and Kate so hanging out with them would be nice.

"Yeah, sure that sound like fun, count me in."

Mike's eyes lit up, and I almost thought he'd start drooling on my Persian carpet from the expression on his face. That guy seriously needed to get laid…

"Great! Do you want to grab something to eat first? I know this great little place near-"

"Actually Mike, I'm having dinner with some friends tonight, sorry, but I'll meet up with you guys later at Palace, okay?" I interrupted him, and watched his face fall. He didn't have much of a poker face, that's for sure.

"Oh, I see. Well, I guess I'll see you later then! Have a great day Bella and congratulations again!"

"You too Mike, goodbye." I smiled faintly, not wanting to encourage him and turned my attention to my paperwork. I heard him walk out and close the door behind him, and then I immediately turned to my computer to send an email to Rosalie.

**From: Bella Swan**

**To: Rosalie Hale**

**Subject: Is it hot in here?**

**Rose, you will never believe who was just in my office. Or rather, who was almost dry humping me in my two thousand dollar designer sofa. **

I pressed send and waited. I knew that Rose, who worked as a lawyer at the most respected firm here in New York, always had her laptop with her and would answer within 2 minutes.

Not even one minute later, I got an e-mail from her. You could always count on Rose to be eager for dirty stories.

**From: Rosalie Hale**

**To: Bella Swan**

**Subject: That's my girl!**

**First of all, if it was that wile Michael Newton guy, don't even bother with the details cause I'd be seriously disappointed in you. You couldn't be that desperate, could you? **

**No you couldn't, of course not, that's just gross. **

**So… Was it some hot, rich new client? Or did Esmee finally agree to let you play with Carlisle? In that case I'm also seriously disappointed in you for not calling me. **

**Tell me girl, I'm dying over here!**

**From: Bella Swan**

**To: Rosalie Hale**

**Subject: Is the air conditioner broken?**

**Did you have to mention Carlisle? You know what thinking of that man does to me, and I'm not wearing underwear today Rose, thanks a lot!**

**Fuck I won't even answer that part about Mike. Watch it or I'll drag up the whole Eric Yorkie incident, and none of us want that, do we?**

**Seriously though, it was fucking green eyed god from this weekend! You know, the one who I had crazy sex with until you decided to drown all those tequilas and then throw up at that guy with the beard? Turns out, his name is Edward Cullen and he's my fucking client. **

**Well, both fuckingclient and fucking client I guess. **

**Hell Rose, he's even more gorgeous than I remembered. I think I need a Cosmoreos night to figure this shit out, I feel… weird, somehow. **

**You, me and Alice at my place tonight? I'll bring the Oreos. **

Since we were seventeen we'd have this tradition, always the three of us. After every breakup, fuck up, hook up or make up we'd either celebrate together or comfort the one who needed it. The combination of Cosmo's and Oreos was something that just fell naturally.

Rose, Alice and I had been best friends since kindergarten, and we've always stuck together through everything. Before the Cosmoreos nights we'd have sleepovers and gossiped all night about which guy we had a crush on at the moment or what the girls in our class was wearing. We'd been the infamous trio, the ones that all the boys wanted to be with and all the girls wanted to be like.

Since we were all competitive like hell we used to always make dares to see how far each one of us would go in order to win, and no one had ever backed down. The most memorable of these dares was probably the time when Rosalie had dared Alice to walk into the football team's locker room, wearing nothing but a towel and saying that she had gotten lost when she was looking for the girls shower.

Let's just say that all the guys looked pretty gay, since we heard they all had a hard on in the shower after her little appearance.

We were bad ass teasers, and we knew it.

**From: Rosalie Hale**

**To: Bella Swan **

**Subject: Confidentiality agreement**

**Bella. We all swore never to mention that name again. I suggest you stick to that, since I know a few of your darkest secrets as well honey. And I'm not opposed to sharing…**

**Shit, girl that's messed up! What are the odds? Cosmoreos is on, I'll call Alice and let her know. And Bella, I think this requires that me bringing out the big guns. **

**Ben & Jerry are coming as well. **

**From: Bella Swan**

**To: Rosalie Hale**

**Subject: Salvation!**

**Love you girl. Make sure it's the triple caramel, don't think cookie dough will be enough this time. I'll be home at 6. **

**From: Rosalie Hale**

**To: Bella Swan**

**Subject: All for one, one for all**

**Got it! Just texted Alice, she'll bring the booze. See ya later hun, and try not to do anything rash in the meantime.**

Me? Do something rash? Never!

I googled him. A girl is allowed to google, right? I was just curious about my new client, nothing more, it's strictly business.

I wasn't interested in him other than for purely sexual reasons. A man who took charge like that? I'd have to explore that further…

Relationships weren't my thing after all, I'd never met a guy who could keep up with me. Oh sure, they all thought they could handle me at first, but I'd yet to meet a man who could be everything I needed him to be. I liked not having the cookie but still be able to eat it, so to speak. Preferably if it's an Oreo. And damn, Edward was sure as hell an Oreo.

Googleing Edward Cullen resulted in three things.

First, I found out that he was **The** Edward Cullen. As in CEO of Masen Enterprises. As in the richest man in New York.

Second, I leaned that he had had a lot of girlfriends. Or maybe they weren't girlfriends, maybe they were just girls who he brought to fancy events to show off. He did have a great taste in women, I'd give him that. Though it surprised me that all of them were quite the opposite of me, all of them tall, blonde and with fake boobs and noses. Gorgeous of course, but I could tell fake from real.

And third, Edward Cullen had a finger (oh those fingers…) in almost everything. I read through all of his achievements and all the different project he was involved in and was almost blown away by what he had accomplished. At the age of 31, he had built an empire. Geez.

I had heard of Masen Enterprises before, but I didn't know that the man behind it was Edward Cullen, most eligible bachelor in New York. I found out that Masen was Edward's father's name, who had passed away when Edward was only 11 years old.

A knock on the door interrupted my reading.

"Bella, you up for lunch at our usual spot?" Esmee asked, peeking in.

"Sure, I'm just about finished here. Meet you outside in 2?" I smiled, and Esmee nodded and left. I knew she was very curious to how my meeting with Mr. Cullen had gone, I could see her eyes sparkling. That woman loved gossiping, especially if gorgeous men were involved. Lucky she was married to the most gorgeous of them all, Dr Carlisle Platt.

Oh Carlisle, that man was just perfection… Probably the only one who could ever give Edward a run for his money.

I mentally slapped myself, it wasn't nice to think these kind of things about my boss's husband. She knew I had a crush on him though, since every female with a functioning hooha found him attractive.

I closed down Google and went to grab my jacket, then I met up Esmee by the elevators.

Our favourite lunch restaurant was just around the corner from the building, we'd spent countless of hours there over the years, laughing, gossiping and sharing stories about guys and sex and everything related to it. Esmee was wonderful, I was really lucky to have her as my boss.

Once we had ordered our salads Esmee got down to business. Count on her to cut the small talk and get straight to the juicy part. Just another thing I loved about her, she had a really dirty mind, just like me.

"Okey, so I want all the details. And not about the business, we'll talk about that later, but what the hell was going on between the two of you? Seriously, the way you looked at each other? I felt like I was watching the reunion scene in The Notebook! Have you met him before?" She spoke so quickly I hardly heard what she was saying, and had the most adorable excited smile on her face.

"Alright, alright calm down over there Mrs. Platt, I promise I'll tell you everything. Even the dirtiest little details that I know you love." I said and winked at her, then I launched into the tale of how I had met Edward at the club and what had gone down between us.

When I got to the 'sex against a wall' part, Esmee actually squealed with excitement. I went on telling her about how we'd spent an hour in my office making out like teenagers, not really speaking at all.

"But he wants you to do the job, right?" Esmee asked, suddenly looking serious. Ah, so there was a boss in there after all.

"Oh yes, he was very pleased with my proposition. I'm starting next week."

Once we'd finally gotten of the sofa and started talking business I'd been able to show of my very best side. Though the way he stared at my chest with a wicked smile on his lips made me doubt he was actually listening to what I was saying, but whatever.

Esmee and I talked some more about how incredibly sexy Edward Cullen was, and gossiped a bit about our co-workers before returning to the office.

The rest of the day passed slowly, I tried not to Google pictures of Edward and instead focused on finishing the presentation I had scheduled for tomorrow with another client.

When it was finally 5.30 I cleaned up my desk and pulled on my jacket, taking one last wistful look at my sofa. I would never be able to look at it the same way again…

The girls were already inside when I got home, they both had a spare key in case of emergencies like this one.

Alice was mixing the Cosmo's and Rose was just taking the Ben & Jerry's out from the fridge.

"Hi guys, you've been here a while?" I asked, throwing my black Marc Jacobs bag on the floor and kicking off my shoes. No point of changing into something more comfortable though, since I was meeting up my colleagues in a few hours.

"Yeah, I finished with my client early and picked Alice up on the way here." Rose said, grabbing three spoons and taking them and the ice cream into the living room.

"How are you girl? Heard you had a rather interesting start to the day?" Alice took a sip from her drink and smiled, holding out a glass for me.

I took it eagerly, throwing it down in three gulps.

"Yeah, it was quite interesting." I laughed, handing my empty glass to Alice who expertly fixed me another one in seconds. We were great bartenders all three of us, Alice had even worked at a club for a few months a couple of years ago before she got her current job as a purchasing manager for Saks on Fifth Avenue.

"Let's go sit down and you can tell us everything. And I mean **everything**. No leaving any details out, you know the drill."

I rolled my eyes, I never left out any details when talking to my girls, I doubt there was anything we didn't know about each other.

"So. Shoot." Alice said once we had settled back on my cosy, super large couch. I rearranged the pillows so that I was more comfortable and then spilled everything that had happened, what I had thought, what he had said and what I was going to do. The last part was the hardest, since I had no fucking clue.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. This guy that you had the best sex of your life with, and have been dreaming about for 4 days, magically shows up in your office and practically fucks you in your couch. He is gorgeous, charming, rich and a real catch, and what? You don't know what you should do?" Rose was watching me sceptically, like I was missing something important.

"Yeah, I mean it's just that there was something there… Kind of like a connection of some sort, I can't explain it. And he just took control like I've never experienced before, it was insane!" And oh so hot… I added in my head. "I'm used to being in control, that's who I am! And here this guy comes along and tries to take the lead? I don't know what to do, I can't just let him boss me around and I can't **not** have sex with him again."

"Bella, honey, in a case like this you do what you do best." Alice said, looking rather devious.

"What? Get drunk and fuck some other guy so I'll forget about him? That won't work since I have to see him every week for quite some time to come."

Alice and Rose looked at each other and shook their heads, then turned back to me with matching mischievous grins.

"No, you fuck him into submission. You show him who the boss is and make him follow your lead like a good little boy. That's what Bella Swan does best." Rose's wicked grin almost made me laugh, but I realized that she had a point. They were fucking right, I could sure as hell make Edward Cullen be obedient, and I would.

"Well girls, I guess we've got ourselves a plan!" I said, my smile just as devious as theirs now. We toasted to being the boss, and then spent a couple of hours drinking, eating Oreos and ice cream and laughing our asses off the way we always did.

When the clock was 9.30 I was quite drunk and suddenly remembered my plans with Mike and the gang. Probably best to get going soon.

"I'm going out for drinks with a few friends from work, you guys wanna join?" I asked, standing up and feeling slightly wobbly. Damn, how many Cosmo's did I drink anyway?

They both said they had to get up early for work the next day, but we made plans to go out together that weekend instead. I was lucky, I'd managed to get a lot of work done today despite my Google distraction so I could treat myself to a long morning in bed before I had to get to work.

We cleaned up in the living room, and while I and Rose did the dishes Alice disappeared into my closet, picking out a new outfit for tonight. She loved to dress me, and I didn't mind it since she had an excellent sense of style.

When we were finished I walked with them to the door, hugging them both and promising to call or e-mail as soon as I heard anything at all from Edward.

Just as I closed the door I heard my phone beep from inside my bag. I picked it up and saw that I had gotten a text from Mike, he was wondering where I was and saying that they were all at Palace and that the place was crowded.

I headed to my bedroom and got dressed in the clothes Alice had picked out for me. A strapless, tight black dress with a zipper in front combined with a pair of deep purple Prada heels. The dress was a favourite among the guys I'd noticed, since it was very easy to take off by just unzipping it. I couldn't say I minded that.

After applying on a bit more makeup and putting my hair up in a high ponytail I grabbed my silver clutch and headed out. I managed the impossible task of hailing a cab within 2 minutes and sat back, trying to push the thoughts of Edward that kept intruding out of my mind.

I'd never been to Palace before, it was a recently opened club in the most popular area and I'd really been looking forward to seeing the place, it'd gotten great reviews so far.

Getting out of the cab, I straightened my dress and looked around, the queue for the entrance went on forever it seemed. I picked up my phone to call Mike when I was suddenly swept up in a bear hug by someone really big.

What the hell?

"Well would you look at that! Hell's Bell's out on the town! Men everywhere, beware!" A booming voice called, and I recognized it immediately.

"Emmett boo!" I squealed, hugging him back fiercely.

Emmett had been one of my best friends when I was younger. My parents had divorced when I was just a few years old, and every summer I would spend two weeks with my dad Charlie in a small town called Forks, where he worked as chief of police.

I had run in to Emmett in the video store one day when I was 15, we were both there to buy the newly released film 'Fight Club' and we'd become friends right away. He made the time I spent in Forks a hell of a lot better, not to mention a hell of a lot more fun. Emmett was the male version of me, he had no verbal filter what so ever and had the dirtiest mind imaginable. He could connect everything to sex, and saw innuendos where one would never even imaging there could be innuendos. I loved him to death, of course.

"Ah Bells, where the fuck have you been? Damn girl you look fine!" Emmett looked me over with wide eyes and I smacked his arm, snickering. Wow, that was some bicep…

"I've been here boo, living the dream and all! Now what the hell are you doing in New York? And fuck you, why haven't you called me and said you're here?" I tried to glare at him, but couldn't help the smile that spread on my face when he flashed his patented Emmett grin, dimples and all.

"Sorry hun, I meant to call but I accidently deleted all the numbers on my phone… Don't ask, it was totally not my fault! I was going to send you an e-mail tomorrow, I just got here today you know." He explained, and I reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone.

"Well I guess you're forgiven, I'll give you my number again so we can have lunch together soon." I said, and he hugged my shoulders and dragged me towards the entrance of Palace.

"What's up Laurent? Good to see you man, you hanging in there?" Emmett greeted the bouncer as we passed the entire line of people waiting to get in.

"Hey Emmett! Good to see you to, the city hasn't scared you off yet?" Laurent answered as they fist bumped. Did people still do that? I guess they did.

"Nah, I'm managing to enjoy myself" Emmett's arm tightened around my shoulders and I gave him an elbow to the ribs.

"I can see that." Laurent said with an appreciative look at me. "Who might this lovely lady be?"

"Bella Swan, friend of this monster" I laughed and extended a hand to shake Laurent's.

"Nice to meet you Bella, hope you'll have a great time in there and keep an eye at my old classmate, wont you?" He winked at me and then opened the door to let us in.

"Oh I think he's the one who needs to keep an eye at me!" I called over my shoulder as Emmett put his arm around my waist and pulled me inside. I heard Laurent laugh loudly before the music drowned out all other sounds.

I looked around, very pleased with what I saw. Huge dance floor, white couches in the VIP section, two bars (as far as I could see, but man this place was enormous!) and people **everywhere.**

"Hey Bella! Over here!" A voice called, and I turned to see Mike and our friends sitting at one of the VIP tables overlooking the dance floor.

I waved and turned to Emmett, telling him I had spotted my friends. We agreed to meet up later and then he went to track down his own friends.

Before I reached the table I suddenly felt a hand on my lower back. I stopped and turned around to see who the hand belonged to, and looked up into amazing clear blue eyes, placed in a very, very handsome face.

"Hello there beautiful" The stranger said, smiling invitingly down at me. I couldn't help my answering smile because shit, this guy was hot. I mean super hot.

He looked like the typical bad boy, sexy as hell and with a killer body. His hair was dark blonde and his skin had a golden tan, probably the result from spending a lot of time working out outdoors.

This man was every dirty fantasy I had ever had personified.

"Hi yourself gorgeous." I smiled wickedly, and he raised his eyebrows and chuckled appreciatively. I knew guys were always surprised when a girl would give a comment like that back without blinking.

"Well you just made this evening a hell of a lot more exciting. What's your name?" Bad boy's left hand was still on the small of my back, and his other hand took one of mine and played with my fingers. Mmm, he had such smooth, masculine hands, I couldn't help imagining what he could do with them…

"Bella. What's yours, bad boy?" I said, moving closer to him. I couldn't look away from his eyes, they were stunning.

Bad boy leaned forward and whispered in my ear, simultaneously pulling me into his chest. "James Miller. And you're right, I'm bad. Really bad, in the very best way." He leaned back then and smiled, and I couldn't help myself as I reached up on my toes and let my lips touch his. Undeniable attraction? Hell yeah.

His mouth was eager, and I felt myself responding to him and kissing him more deeply, not even thinking about the fact that 6 of my colleagues was probably watching me.

A loud deliberate cough made me snap my eyes open, and I pulled back from James to see who it was.

I turned my head slightly, and was suddenly staring into narrowed, burning green eyes.

Edward Cullen.

Oh fuck.

* * *

**Like it? Let me know! Reviews get previews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I ****don't own Twilight. That lucky Stephenie Meyer does. I just responsible for twisting their little heads and making them do dirty things. **

**Songs mentioned in this chapter is**

**Highway man by Hoffmaestro**

**Stereo Love by Edward Maya**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3. **

James hands were still on me, and I suddenly felt like a cheater as I stared into Edward's scorching gaze.

What the hell, I wasn't cheating. It would require him being my boyfriend for me to be cheating, god damnit.

So why did I feel slightly guilty?

Edward looked completely stunning and somehow the nickname 'green eyed god' that I had given him didn't quite do him justice. He was wearing a white t-shirt with some kind of band logo on it that I didn't recognize and his black leather jacket made his shoulders look both wide and strong. His jeans had a faded blue colour and hung on his hips in a way that should be illegal, he was looking way too hot to be good for my sanity. His clothes didn't exactly scream 'extremely wealthy owner of a multi million dollar company', but I had been hanging out with Alice long enough to be able to tell designer clothes from something off the rack. It looked more like he was saying 'I'm a confident man who knows very well that I am the best looking man in the building'. And of course, he was.

And then there was the face, that impossibly gorgeous face that had haunted my dreams at night as well as my daydreams… With piercing green eyes, chiselled cheekbones, a wild disarray of hair and lips begging to be kissed, he had all the features a woman could ask for, and then some.

"Miss Swan, how nice to see you here." Edward's voice surprised me a bit by being entirely different from the way he had spoken to me before, he sounded like he was trying to conceal whatever real emotions he was experiencing. His eyes betrayed him though, I could see that he was furious. Oh well, that wasn't really my problem. Sure, he was hot as hell and we'd had a great time messing around in my office but there had been to promises made between us, I was free to do whatever I wanted. Edward Cullen was my client, nothing more.

At least that was what I would keep telling myself. I had a plan, I remembered suddenly.

"Mr. Cullen, good to see you too." I answered, untangling myself from James's hands and reaching to shake Edwards. I might be planning to fuck him silly eventually, but as for now he was my client and I would stay professional during the time I worked with him.

_No fraternizing with the clients, Bella_. At least not if he didn't initiate it, but if he did… Well then I could take control and fuck his pretty little head straight.

Edward took my outstretched hand, and his hand felt so strong and perfect around mine. _Don't go there Bella, don't you dare!_

"Who's your boyfriend?" He asked, looking over at James with narrowed eyes.

"This is James, and he's not my boyfriend." I said, immediately feeling a bit sour. Did he really think I would have acted the way I did with him earlier if I had a boyfriend? Dick!

"I see. And what might James last name be?" Edward didn't even look at James now as he spoke, he was staring directly at me with a sly smile, obviously confident that I wouldn't know the answer. Oh, so he was trying to embarrass me, was he?

Two could play at that game. Screw being professional, if that was the way he wanted to play I wasn't going to back down.

"Miller. I usually make sure to get a possible fuck buddy's name before I stick my tongue down their throat." I smirked, thinking of how he had literally attacked my mouth the other night when we had met at the club. Okay, I would probably have done it if he hadn't started, but he didn't need to know that.

Edward's expression went from devious to surprised and then settled on amused, and maybe even a bit impressed.

"Do you now? How very honourable of you, Miss Swan." He answered, smiling his crooked grin at me.

Oh no, that shit ain't gonna fly with me tonight, mister.

"Indeed, Mr Cullen. Now, if you'll excuse me, James and I were just heading to the bar. I'll see you on Monday." I said quickly, grabbing James's hand again and started dragging him away from Edward, meanwhile ignoring the fucking butterflies messing around in my stomach. Damn him.

"Until next time then, Miss Swan." Edward's voice called after me, and I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked towards the bar with James in tow.

"What the hell was that all about? I thought that guy was going to try and hit me just now. Is he your ex or something?" James said, and I could hear that he was amused by the situation. He probably wouldn't mind if Edward would have started a fight, James was a bad boy after all, I thought, maybe a bit more pleased than I probably should be.

"Oh no, he's just some guy who thinks he can boss me around. He hasn't realized yet that I'm anything but, I don't take orders from men, I give them."

"That might be the sexiest thing I've ever heard" James said, and suddenly pulled me to him, leaning in so that his lips were almost touching me. Oh look, a fast learner! I do love those.

"You haven't heard anything yet, handsome" I whispered seductively, closing the rest of the distance between our lips. He was a great kisser, I'd give him that. Though a small voice in my head kept arguing that Edward was even better, but I ignored it.

I'd only 'known' James for a few minutes, but I liked him already. This was a man who knew how to have fun and who'd probably give as good as he got.

James ordered two shots of tequila for us, and even though I still felt the Cosmo's from before I threw the tequila down without blinking. Yes, I liked my liquor but I knew my limit so I never got crazy drunk and threw up at random people (aka doing a Rosalie) although I had been known to have unplanned sex with strangers against brick walls from time to time. Preferably bronze haired god-like men with green eyes.

I told James that I was going to go say hi to my colleagues, and he gave my ass a light slap as I turned to walk. He was gonna pay for that later, I said to myself, smiling.

Kate and Angela were on the dance floor so I sat down and exchanged a few words with the guys for a couple of minutes. Mike looked pissed so I guessed he had seen me and James kissing just now. I tried not to roll my eyes as he sat pouting the whole time, looking like a sullen five year old.

Suddenly the music changed, and I recognized my favourite song playing. I could feel the need to get up and dance building, it was physically impossible to sit still when Hoffmaesto's 'Highway man' was playing. After saying a quick goodbye to the guys I headed to the bar, wordlessly grabbing James hand and pulling him with me to the dance floor.

If I had found James attractive before, it was nothing compared to now. The man could move, and he pulled me close to him as we danced. His hands made it slightly hard for me to jump up and down like a crazy person in the way that the song required, so I settled for a sexy dance instead.

The dim light, the pounding music and James's firm hands on my hips made me feel high. The alcohol probably helped, but it was more the sensation of being in my right element, feeling completely carefree and enjoying being single, just the way I wanted to be.

When the song ended James motioned that he'd seen a friend and would go say hello, I waved him off, already lost in the next song. Once free of James's hands, I moved without restraint, feeling the rhythm of the music and letting it take over all my senses. I wasn't one to feel embarrassed about dancing alone and besides, from the second that James left I was surrounded by a number of other men, all eyeing me from head to toe repeatedly.

_You can look but you can't touch,_ I thought, smiling to myself as I mimed the words to the song that was playing.

_Can I get to your soul  
Can you get to my thought  
_

_Can we promise we won't let go  
All the things that I need  
All the things that you need  
You can make it feel so real  
_

_Cuz you can't deny  
You've blown my mind  
When I touch your body  
I feel I'm losing control  
_

_Cuz you can't deny  
You've blown my mind  
When I see you baby  
I just don't wanna let go_

It was almost like experiencing a déjà vu when I felt a pair of strong hands on my waist, pulling me back against a warm, hard body.

"I seem to recall something like this happening before" His velvet voice whispered in my ear, echoing my thoughts. I turned around, reaching up to twist my hands in his hair and pulling his head down so I could whisper back. "Well don't expect the rest of that evening's event to be happening again."

I leaned back, looking him in the eyes as I let my hand trail from his hair down his chest and then, feeling quite bold, letting my nails scratch the front of his jeans where his erection was already prominent. Even in the loud room, I could hear his breath caught. He reached down and grabbed my hand, then spoke huskily in my ear again.

"You don't want to do that if you're not prepared to handle the consequences, Miss Swan."

I couldn't help myself, I grabbed him rather firmly, making him groan loudly in my ear.

"I'll leave you to handle the consequences yourself, Mr Cullen. I'm sure you're more than qualified."

Then, since my lips were still at his ear, I nibbled on his earlobe gently and felt him stiffen. Making Edward Cullen hot and bothered to his breaking point? Mission accomplished.

Releasing my grasp on his crotch, I smiled wickedly and walked off the dance floor, heading for the girl's bathroom. I would never admit it, but he wasn't the only one breathing heavier than usual right now.

It wasn't until I had gone down the stairs and was walking in the poorly lit corridor that I hoped led to the ladies room, that I realized I was being followed. I didn't even have time to turn around until two hands gripped me and pulled me into another corridor to the right, this one almost completely dark.

Of course, I didn't need lights to know whose hands were on me. I could smell his intoxicating scent, hear his ragged breathing and feel the contour of his body as he pressed me against the wall, standing impossibly close.

"Told you there'd be consequences, Bella. I'm used to getting what I want, when I want it and that's the way things are going to continue." He almost growled, his soft lips tracing my jaw line.

Oh god, what have I gotten myself into? He had his hands on either side of me so that I couldn't escape. I was trapped.

My body decided to respond to his in a way I couldn't control, just the feeling of his breath against my jaw sent goosebumps over my skin and my hands twisted in his hair on instinct, as if they knew exactly what they were supposed to do.

Except it was all wrong, I was giving in but I wasn't supposed to give in. What had he just said? 'I'm used to getting what I want, when I want it'? The realization that Edward thought he could just grab me and do whatever he pleased made me sober up slightly and I disentangled my fingers from the soft, bronze glory that was his hair and put my hands on his chest, trying to push him away.

"Oh but you seem to have misunderstood, Mr Cullen. I'm not a 'whenever you want' girl, and I will not give in to your control obsession." I said, looking him straight in the eye. He looked surprised for a second, before smoothing his expression and taking on a knowing look.

He smirked at me "We'll just see about that, won't we?" He leaned closer, ignoring my feeble attempts to push him away and pressed his warm, wet lips softly to the skin just under the edge of my jaw.

I almost came undone right then and there, it felt like my whole body was on fire and his touch was the only thing that could put the flames out. Or perhaps it was his touch that ignited them? Either way, the sensation of his lips on me was enough to make me melt in his arms.

I let out an involuntary moan as his hand trailed over my hips and down to my thighs. "That's right baby, it does no good to fight it and you know it." I wanted to tell him to go screw himself, to push him away and stand my ground. Didn't I have a plan? Right now I couldn't quite seem to remember it, and as his fingers found their way under the edge of my short dress I found that I really couldn't care less about some stupid plan.

Edwards was breathing heavily, his left hand reached up to cup my breast while his lips were agonizingly soft against my skin. I tried to turn my head so that I could claim his mouth, but when I moved he released my breast and instead grabbed hold of my chin. "Oh no, since you were so intent on torturing me before I think it's only appropriate for me to do the same." His rough voice was in my ear but I could hardly concentrate since his fingers were now tracing the edge of my underwear, teasing me by touching everywhere except were I craved it the most.

I took my hand off of his rock hard chest, reaching down to grab his hand and guide it to where the ache was now almost unbearable, I desperately needed his hands on me.

When he instead took his hand away altogether I almost screamed for the loss of contact and tried to force his fingers back, pressing myself closer to him. I was shocked when he responded by moving back and releasing me altogether.

What the hell?

"What fuck are you doing?" I demanded, feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. Not a very pleasant feeling I might add.

"Leaving you to deal with the consequences." Edward smiled darkly, and then my jaw almost dropped as he turned his back on me and walked away.

_I think I might just have met my match_. I thought as I saw him turning the corner and disappearing.

I tugged at the edge of my dress and then quickly pulled off my soaked panties, discarding them on the floor without a glance.

Edward Cullen was going down, in more ways than one.

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**I need reviews! Please, if you like the story enough to press the fave or alert button, don't you think it deserves a review as well? :) You know you do! Feedback makes the chapters come quicker (and maybe someone else will also...come...quicker. hehe) so hit me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: We all know none of us owns Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does (SHOCKER!)**

**Here's a yummi one for ya, hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter 4**

I paused for a second and looked down at my panties that lay on the floor. Hmm, what if…?

_Oh Bella that's wicked, you naughty girl! _My subconscious scolded me. But then she added _Go for it, we're gonna crack that motherfucker. _

I smiled, pleased that my subconscious bad-girl agreed with me. If there was anyone in the world that I always trusted and whose advice I would never doubt, it was my inner bad-girl. She was fucking fierce, that one.

Reaching down, I grabbed the panties I had just taken off and then walked/stumbled to the ladies room. I was still slightly shaky since Edwards fucking stunt and damn I was so uncomfortably wet it wasn't even funny.

The bathroom was empty so I just grabbed a paper towel and cleaned myself up and then threw a glance in the mirror. I looked good. A bit messed up thanks to Edward's less than gentle manners, but still hot. I winked at my reflection (yeah, I totally do those kinds of things. Get over it) and left the room, panties in hand.

The sound level increased with every step I took closer to the stairs, and I smirked when I heard what song was playing. Just as I stepped out onto the dance floor Akon started singing the lyrics to the very suitable 'Sexy Bitch'.

I looked around me at the people crowding the place, everyone was getting seriously into the song, dancing like maniacs. Well, Akon kind of does that to people I guess.

"Bella!" A female voice called and I suddenly found myself in the arms of my colleague Kate, who was jumping up and down to the beat while hugging me. I laughed and hugged her back tightly, she was one of those people who you just can't help but to love and feel super comfortable with.

When she stepped back, Angela hugged me too and asked "What's that in your hand, Bella?"

I smiled deviously and held up my panties in front of the girls. They looked completely shocked for two seconds before busting out in equally loud laughter. Angela calmed down first, and though she was still shaking with laughter she managed to choke out "What the hell? Bella you're supposed to wear them, not flaunt them!"

"Nah, these fuckers are too pretty to keep hidden." I said and winked, then continued "But I'm not going commando 'cause my hooha needs the fresh air, I'm doing it 'cause I'm on a mission." I stated, and just then caught sight of a head full of tasselled, bronze hair across the dance floor.

The girls looked amused, they had witnessed these kinds of random acts from me before and learned that it did no good to ask questions, you simply had to watch.

I kept my voice business like but I'm sure that my excited grin betrayed me. "Ah, ladies if you'll excuse me, I believe I just spotted my victim." I shoved the panties into my clutch, an action that would have had Alice screaming in terror. According to her, body fluids and designer bags did not mix.

"Go get him girl, and if you bring back his underwear… Well, then I'm buying you drinks 'til the alcohol starts coming out your ears." Kate laughed, and smacked my butt as I took off. I wiggled my ass a little for them and got appreciative cheers from my friends and about 4-5 of the men who were surrounding us.

I made my way through the crowd easily and was soon standing in front of a ridiculously good looking Edward Cullen. He was holding a bottle of beer in one hand and the other one was in his hair, messing it up even more. Of course he was surrounded by a group of gorgeous women, all trying to get their hands on him.

Because I'm me, and because I'm a bitch when I'm horny and unsatisfied, I simply pushed one especially attractive woman aside to stand in front of Edward. I might have stomped on her toes with my heel, but that was totally by accident. Or whatever.

Edwards head turned in my direction and when he saw me, that fucking crooked grin spread all over his face, doing freaky things to the damn butterflies that had taken up residence in my stomach. I tried not to roll my eyes as one of the women started pulling on his arm to get his attention. Instead I smiled shyly, acting as if I was nervous to be in his presence. That kind of act always made those fuckers ego grow even bigger, and I just loved being the one who shattered them later…

_They say she needs to slow down_

_The baddest thing around town_

_She's nothing like the girl you've ever seen before_

_Nothing you can compare to your neighbourhood whore_

_I'm trying to find the words to describe this girl_

Oh how I loved Akon this very moment.

Edward pulled his arm away from the woman tugging on it and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Here to beg?" His voice was so fucking seductive that I just knew he had been practicing that shit, 'cause hell, no man could sound like that without some serious time in front of the mirror imitating George Clooney.

But who was I kidding, Edward fucking beat The Clooney when it came to getting me hot and bothered.

_Blasphemy! _My inner Mrs. Clooney yelled at me. I had my inner bad-girl shut her up. There was 'Edward play time' on the schedule for tonight…

I bit down on my lower lip and looked at the floor, figuring if I was gonna do this submissive shy girl shit I might as well go all the way.

"I think I might have dropped my phone when you surprised me in that corridor earlier, and I can't seem to find it. Can you help me look?" I said, making my voice sad and pleading. Yeah, yeah, I was laying it on thick but it was serious fun.

Edward immediately handed his beer to one of his groupies and took my hand, starting to lead me across the dance floor.

_Score! __I'm gonna get you good, Mr. Fucking Tease Cullen._

As we passed Kate and Angela in the crowd, I blinked at them and they gawked at Edward.

We walked down the few steps and were in the corridor again, Edward was walking behind me now with a hand on the small of my back. I didn't wait to get to the end of hall, the door to the men's room was directly to the left so I turned around and grabbed Edward's shirt in a tight fist, pulling him with me as I opened the door with my other hand and backed into the bathroom.

Thankfully it was empty, I slammed the door shut and pushed Edward up against it, turning the locks.

"What the fuck?" He stuttered and the shocked expression on his face was almost comical.

"Now Mr. Cullen, you are gonna shut that pretty little mouth of yours up and listen to me."

"Your f-" He began, but I grabbed his dick tightly through his jeans, effectively silencing him.

Edward's eyes grew wide as he looked down on me, both excitement and confusion on his face.

"I said, don't talk." I whispered in his ear, tightening my grip on him and letting my lips touch his earlobe. I felt him shudder and smiled to myself, obviously this was a man who had never met a woman who took control.

"You don't know me Mr. Cullen, so I am prepared to forgive you for that shit you pulled before." I said, stroking him through the fabric of his jeans. He was so hard that I couldn't help but to press my body closer to him and I was pretty sure he could feel how erect my nipples were despite of my bra.

Edward groaned and placed his hands on my ass, pulling me into his erection and trying to gain friction against my body. I bit down on his neck a bit harder than necessary, and his hands gripped my backside tighter.

"Why don't you act like a good boy and finish what you started?" I breathed in his ear.

Before I had time to blink, I was the one pushed up against the door with Edward's hands on my hips.

"Oh I plan to finish alright, Miss Swan." Edward said roughly, his breathing uneven as he trailed his hands all over my body before stopping at my breasts. "I'm gonna give it to you until you're screaming my name, and if you behave, I'm gonna let you finish as well."

"That's some high stakes to live up to, you're sure you're man enough for it?"

"Baby, I'm man enough to make you come all night if I want to. The question is if you can handle me…"

I silenced him with a hot, open mouthed kiss, pushing away from the door to turn around and press him against the wall instead.

Seriously, this was like some kind of wrestling match. As soon as I had him where I wanted him, he turned us around and had me pinned against the wall instead. I would have laughed if it wasn't so frustrating. We were both trying to take charge, all the while kissing a bit rough and breathing harder.

"Well this isn't going to work" I said between kisses, and then used more strength than I thought I possessed to push him back. I kept my hands on his chest as I led him backwards until he was standing with the back of his thighs against the mahogany sink table.

"Compromise" Now I was the one to turn us around and he got where I was going right away, lifting me up and placing me on the table, standing between my legs.

"Ah, so we are capable of finding a middle ground after all." He breathed in my ear, brushing his lips against my skin.

I twisted my fingers in his hair and brought his soft, sweet lips to mine again. He tasted fucking amazing, like chocolate peppermint or something. I kind of wanted to bite him again.

Edward's fingers moved down from my waist and found their way under my dress, and I had to keep myself from laughing when his fingers suddenly froze. I leaned back and cocked an eyebrow at him and he looked quite befuddled for a second before that signature smirk was in place again.

"Lost something?" He sounded both amused and surprised as his fingers touched the naked skin where my panties should have been.

I shook my head no. "Oh no, I just figured out a better use for them" Then I couldn't help but moan softly as he started moving his fingers inside of me, at the same time as his lips trailed down my throat, stopping just above my cleavage.

"Unzip for me Miss. Swan." He ordered, and I didn't even bother to argue or anything, I just grabbed the zipper of my dress and pulled it all the way down, exposing my short, black-lace bustier and my stomach. And of course, my lack of panties.

Edward pulled back slightly but his fingers were still inside me, he looked me over with desire clear in his beautiful features. His mouth actually hung open as his eyes took in my almost naked body, lingering on my breasts.

He seemed to swallow hard before he spoke in a husky voice "As much as I love what you're wearing, I really need to see all of you right now."

I smirked at him, trying to look as composed as any woman sitting half naked before Edward Cullen with his fingers in her hooha could look. I took my hands out of his hair and reached behind me to undo the clasp. Edward was staring at my breasts expectantly, which was totally adorable actually and of course sexy as hell.

Ever heard of a cockblock? Well, it's when someone of something completely ruins the opportunity to have sex. It could also be described as Emmett McCarty.

Suddenly the doorknob turned, and apparently I hadn't locked that fucker like I thought I had. The result was that Emmett was now standing in the doorway, staring at the scene before him with wide eyes. For a few seconds, we were all frozen. And then all hell broke loose as Emmett started screaming.

"What the fuck is going on in here? Hells Bells what do you think you're doing? Get down from there and close that fucking dress up or I'm calling Charlie!"

"Emmett for Christ sake, turn the fuck around!" I yelled back, extremely aware that Edward's fingers where still inside me. Luckily his body covered me so that Emmett didn't get a full view peek show. Fuck, why did this have to happen? I wasn't even close to finished yet for crying out loud.

"I'll turn around when that fucker gets his bloody hands off of you Bella!"

"This is so not your business Emmett, get OUT!"

Edward slid his fingers out of me and grinned, a wicked gleam in his eyes. I was too upset to give him a snarky comment, so I just grabbed the zipper of my dress and pulled it up, covering myself again.

"Fuck, Bella. At least use the ladies room next time! Can't a guy take a leak without seeing his best friend's pussy being assaulted?"

"You didn't have to fucking stare Emmett, where are your freaking manners?"

"I kind of forgot about them when I saw little Bella hanging out!"

"Don't refer to my hooha as 'little Bella', that's so not even cute!" I spat back, and ignored Edward who looked like he was having some kind of seizure.

"What should I call it then? Fuzz nugget? Cum catcher? Fun box?" Emmett rambled, and Edward almost fell to the floor laughing. I watched him as he held on to the sink and clutched his stomach as tried to catch his breath, which was impossible as he was having fucking hysterics.

"Pootang, snatch, slop hole-"

"Alright!" I yelled, jumping off the sink. "That's enough, thank you very much Emmett."

"Hairy beav-"

"SHUT UP!"

"Okay, okay. Geez, I was gonna ask what crawled up your ass but I guess I already know. Get out of here so a guy can do his business, would ya?"

"Fine. Come on, we're leaving this fucker so he can play with his disco stick." I said, grabbing Edward's hand and starting to drag him towards the door.

"I'm Edward, I'd offer my hand but I think that would be rather uncomfortable for at least two of us." Edward said, pulling me to a stop.

I groaned, I really didn't want to prolong the awkwardness any longer. Emmett didn't seem to mind though, he held out a fist to Edward, who bumped it with his left hand.

"Emmett McCarty, old friend of Miss Poonanie here." Emmett chuckled, and if Edward wasn't there I would have stuck my tongue out at him.

"Ah, so you must know all her dirty secrets then?" Edward asked, sounding intrigued.

"Hell yeah! Though I don't know if dirty quite covers it and I'm pretty sure there are no secrets when it comes to Bella. This girl's got a thing for public se-"

"Fuck Emmett! Would you shut up?"

"Yeah yeah, sorry. Now get the fuck out lovebirds, I need to pee like a racehorse."

"Thanks for the visual." I muttered. "See you later cockblocker."

"Any time!" Emmett called after me as I pulled Edward with me and slammed the door close. I turned around and saw that Edward was staring at me with an amused expression.

"So… You like to do it in public, do you?" He smirked and I rolled my eyes. Of course he would have picked up on that one.

"Yeah. Not that you'll ever know Mr Edward 'I'm gonna make you scream my name' Cullen." I raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Edward surprised me with grabbing my waist and pulling me to him, and I could feel that he was still hard. That shit has gotta be painful.

"The night's not over yet…" He whispered in my ear, but I wasn't interested.

"Whatever, I'm gonna go dance now. You just go back to your harem, I'm sure one of them would be happy to help with that situation." I looked down at the bulge in his pants, and then I opened my clutch and took out my panties. I tucked them into the pocket of his jeans and winked at him. "Keep those if you get lonely tonight pretty boy". Then I turned and started walking towards the dance floor. There had been too much drama for one night, I needed to dance and relax before I could think about Edward Cullen and his more than frustrating behaviour again.

"Oh, I'm sure I won't be, Miss Swan." He called after me, a bit frostily.

Once back on the dance floor, I quickly spotted Kate and Angela who were dancing in the middle of the crowd. I made my way to them and told myself that I would just focus on enjoying myself the rest of the night, without any thoughts of Edward ruining my mood.

And damn did I enjoy myself or what? James found me again and we threw back shot after shot with tequila and danced for hours with his friends and mine. I noticed that Angela and James' friend Ben seemed to hit it off from the start, dancing close together and looking at each other with goo goo eyes. Good for her, I thought. Angela had been kind of down lately since she broke up with her long time boyfriend Eric, so I was happy to see her smiling like that again.

I couldn't stop myself from making out with James on the dance floor, it kind of went with the whole sexy dance thing we were doing. More than once I detected Edward's eyes on me from across the room. He was sitting by the bar, surrounded again with a group of women who he seemed to ignore all together. Shit, I wouldn't have minded if he loosened up a bit, it wasn't like I demanded monogamy from him or anything.

When my feet started to hurt too much from all the dancing, I decided it was best to start thinking about calling it a night. Well, actually it was almost morning by now. Angela and Kate had left a while ago, and Emmett had come by and said he was going and promising to call me the next day. I gestured to James' that I was leaving, and he followed me after saying good bye to his friends who were still dancing and didn't look like they'd be going home any time soon.

When we walked out of the club I spotted Edward, he was leaning against a wall, looking extremely drunk while some blonde chick had her mouth all over him.

I immediately regretted thinking that I wanted him to hook up with someone else, since seeing that bitch's hands on him did strange things to my stomach. I suddenly wanted to rip her fucking hair off and kick her freakishly huge ass. I bet she had had work done on it, no real ass looked like that. Not even JLo's.

Edward looked up then and met my gaze. I decided to ignore him and instead turned to James' who has hailing a cab for us.

"So, do you wanna come back to my place?" I asked, not really sure I wanted him to but at the same time needing something to distract my thoughts of Edward.

"Ah, you know I would gorgeous, but I have a plane to catch in like 2 hours. I wasn't supposed to stay out quite this late but then I met you and you had to be all sexy and making me lose track of time and shit." He laughed, and I couldn't help feeling a bit relieved. I liked James a lot and would probably want to see him again after tonight, he sure knew how to show a girl a good time.

"Oh that's okay." I said, and then added "raincheck?"

"Hell yeah, I'll be out of town for a few days in business, but we'll plan something once I get back, okay?" He said as a cab pulled over and he opened the door for me.

I nodded and than saw that Edward had pushed fake-ass girl away and was walking towards us, looking very unsteady. Was he that drunk? I quickly took James' hand and smiled up at him. "We can still share a cab, right? I promise to behave."

James laughed and fortunately followed me into the cab before Edward reached us, I gave the driver my address and we took off.

A few minutes later I was safely inside my apartment at last, and I groaned when I saw what time it was and that I was only going to get like 5 hours of sleep before I had to get up and go to work. Maybe I could call Esmee and ask her if I could work from home instead? I had everything I needed with me, and Esmee would understand. Hell, she'd applaud me for getting home so late.

Did I mention I loved my boss?

After removing my cloths, washing the make up off and getting dressed in my favourite sleep uniform, an old white t-shirt that had belonged to my dad once upon a time and a pair of hotpants, I climbed into bed, exhausted.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, there was a knock on the door. I sat up, a bit disorientated and stumbled out of bed, heading for the door. Who the fuck was going around knocking on peoples doors at 5 in the morning?

I glanced through the peephole in the door, and when I spotted a man laying on the floor against the opposite wall I quickly turned the locks and pulled the door open.

What the hell? Edward Cullen was curled up in a ball, smelling strongly of alcohol and smoke, just outside my front door. I looked around in the hallway but no one else was to be seen, thank god. Very aware that I was only wearing a pair of panties and an almost see through t-shirt, I tip toed over to where he lay and kneeled in front of him.

"Edward" I hissed, poking his arm.

He just muttered something incoherent and didn't even move.

"Edward for fuck sake, get off the floor before someone sees you!"

"You get off the floor…" He mumbled, still not moving.

"I'm not on the floor you idiot. Are you going to move or am I going to have to drag you?"

Turns out, I did. And shit, he was heavy as hell. I grabbed his feet and pulled him into my apartment, closing the door and then I went to get him a glass of water from the kitchen. When I returned Edward was nowhere to be seen, and I thought for a second that he had left again. Then I heard a loud thump coming from my bedroom, and hurried over there to see what had caused it.

Edward Cullen, CEO of Masen Enterprises, multi millionaire, respected business man and New York's most eligible bachelor, was passed out on my bed with his head on my pink, fluffy rabbit that I had gotten from Rose and Alice when I turned eight.

Was it very wrong that I wanted to take a picture of him right now? Shit, if I would send it to one of those gossip magazines I'd get serious money for it. I thought about it for a second, and then picked up my phone and snapped a picture.

I wouldn't sell it, but I would definitely be looking at it myself.

After I put the phone down I started to get to work on Edward, pulling his shoes and socks off and then his jacket. He didn't wake once, not even when I pulled his jeans off, leaving him laying across my bed only wearing a pair of black boxers.

Shit, it should be illegal to look as good as he did. My mouth was almost fucking watering at the sight of him in my bed.

I pulled back the covers a bit roughly, but once again he just slept right through it, and then I got in beside him and pulled the covers back up. Edward started snoring and I couldn't help but to think the sound was adorable, coming from this control freak of a man who always seemed so perfect at first glance. And second glance. Probably third and fourth as well…

I turned the lights off and snuggled into my pillow, trying not to think about the fact that the most gorgeous man on the planet was laying just two feet from me.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, Edward suddenly mumbled my name and turned around, placing his face between my breasts and sighing contently in his sleep.

Oh shit, I desperately hoped Esmee would allow me the day off tomorrow…

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**How about a review just because Drunkward is totally adorable? I mean, who wouldn't wanna snuggle with him all night? Come ooon, show me some love and I'll show you some... eh, love. In a dirrrty way of course. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: S. Meyer is the lucky owner of Edward. and the rest of the Twilight universe, including Carlisle. Sigh.**

**I know, I know.. It's about time, right? After a bad case of writers block, a computer that hit the floor and weather too great to ignore, (hey that rimed!)I'm finally finished with the new chapter! I'm gonna shut up and let you read now.**

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**Chapter 5**

_Sorry I couldn't be here when you woke up, had to get to the office early. I was looking forward to some morning snuggling, but you were so out of it that I doubt you would have noticed if I had sex with you while you slept. Not that the thought didn't cross my mind. I added my number into your phone, just so you know. I'll see you Monday, if nothing else._

_E._

_PS, you talk in your sleep. A lot._

_PS 2, your top is totally see-through. Thanks for that ;)_

Fucking Edward Cullen, how could he be such an asshole and so damn charming at the same time? I sighed, folding the note that he had placed on the pillow where his glorious head had rested only hours ago, pretending that that last little smiley didn't do anything to the weird butterflies in my stomach.

Waking up to see his side of the bed empty had a strange effect on me, and I didn't like it at all. I needed to get my thoughts together, I couldn't allow myself to fall for this man who was so obviously nothing more than a womanizer.

And an excellent fuck, a great dancer, a respected business man and the best kisser in the history of the world.

But Bella Swan doesn't do the boyfriend/girlfriend thing, because all relationships are doomed, and that's a fact. I remembered the only time I had been in a real relationship, and the fucking pain it had caused me.

Jacob Black had made me trust him, love him and want him, only to break all his fucking promises along with my heart the day I found out he had been cheating on me from the beginning.

Men are pigs, but as long as there are no feelings involved, I would be okay. I could date, I could fuck and I could flirt but nothing more.

Once you've been broken so deeply, there wasn't any way you could trust again.

That's why this situation with Edward had to be solved, before I got any deeper. I knew he was the kind of guy to nestle his way into your heart, making you fall head over heals, and then dump your ass the second something more exciting came along.

I wasn't having that, because there was no way I was going to let myself get walked all over again. All my previous plans of seducing him or using him simply for fucking was out of the window, because I realized that I was dangerously close to falling.

If it hadn't been for the extreme passion between us yesterday, just the drunk, adorable man who showed up at my door in the middle of the night and fell asleep with his head buried between my breasts would have done it. But having seen both dominating, passionate Edward and then the almost innocent, sweet man who curled up on my bed and mumbled my name, I knew that there was danger ahead. And I would not willingly set myself up for another heartbreak.

From now on, Edward Cullen was my client. Nothing more, nothing less, that's the way it had to be.

I didn't allow myself to listen to the voice in my head that kept laughing at me, telling me that keeping my hands off of Edward would be as impossible as turning down the Clooney if he were to knock on my door one day.

The clock was only 9.20, so I figured I might as well get up and go to work anyway. Besides, it might help me keep all thoughts of Edward away.

_Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, sugar_! The voice laughed.

I was in the bathroom, finishing my make up when I heard a knock on the door. I put down my mascara, silently praying for it not to be Edward. Well, part of me was praying for that, the other part was desperate to see him again.

_Traitor!_

When I opened the door, I was both relieved and disappointed to find that it wasn't Edward standing there, instead I was looking at the largest, most extravagant bouquet of flowers I had ever seen.

"Isabella Swan?" A voice asked behind the flowers, and I could see part of a boy's face as he leaned around the bouquet.

I stared wide eyed, mouth hanging open. "Yes?" I paused, "Please tell me that those are not for me!" I almost begged, horrified as I began to realize who must have sent them. Good god, this was so not what I needed.

Fuck.

The boy chuckled, "I'm afraid so, unless there's another Isabella Swan living here?"

"No" I whispered, still staring at the sea of blue, pink, white, yellow, you name it! There were too many flowers to count, and I swallowed hard as I saw the card attached to one of them.

"Do you mind if I step inside and put them down? I think I might drop them any second, this is some heavy stuff!"

"Yeah, sure" I choked out, stepping aside and letting him in. The boy walked slowly, balancing the vase carefully as he tried not to trip on anything. I followed him to the kitchen where he put the vase down on the table. Then he stepped back and wiped a hand across his forehead.

"Wow, that's some admirer you've got there, Miss!" he said, and smiled at me.

I picked up the card.

_I am really looking forward to working with you, Miss Swan. _

_Edward_

Double Fuck.

I was sitting in my office, finishing up for the day when Esmee knocked on my door and peeked in.

"Bella, do you have a minute?"

"Sure" I said, shutting off the computer. "What's up?"

Esmee walked in, and after sitting down in the chair across from my desk, she smiled expectantly at me. We hadn't had a chance to talk yet, she'd been with a client all day while I had more or less stayed locked inside my office, burying myself in work to keep my thoughts off-

"So, have you heard anything from Edward?"

Ah, of course.

I squirmed a little in my seat. Even though Esmee was my friend, I didn't really want to share all my thoughts on Edward with her. She was, after all, still my boss, and he was my client. I always tried to stay professional, and I was usually very good at it. That is, before Edward Cullen showed up in my office…

"I met him last night, and we spoke briefly." I paused, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at the eager expression that had come over Esmee's face. "But I've decided that it will be best if I don't get involved with him, seeing as he is my client and all."

A little late for that... My subconscious scolded me.

"Oh." Esmee looked surprised, and a little disappointed it would seem. I knew she was dying for me to meet someone who was to me what Carlisle was to her. And even though I kept telling her that I wasn't looking for a relationship, she was persistent.

"So you're not taking him to the party tomorrow?" she asked.

What?

"Taking him to what party, Esmee?" I was confused.

She rolled her eyes, "Bella! Don't tell me you've forgotten about mine and Carlisle's annual garden party? It's not like you have attended it for the last 5 years or anything like that!"

Damn, was it June second already? Where did the time go? It felt like only yesterday that I had been putting up Christmas decorations in my apartment and spent too many hours running around town trying to get all my last minute Christmas shopping done.

"Of course I remember!" I lied, but of course she didn't buy it.

"Yeah right, Bella." she laughed, "Just make sure the girls haven't forgotten, and get yourself a date! I doubt that that guy, Peter, that you brought last year will be willing to come back this year, especially after Rosalie's little stunt."

We both laughed at the memory. I was fairly certain that we had seen the last of Peter Samson, he had most likely fled the country after that night. Rosalie could be very scary, especially when she was asked to assist in dumping someone. When Peter had gotten a little too friendly –even for me- I had simply asked her to take care of it. Which she did, thoroughly.

"I'll handle it." I said, and then remembered that Emmett was in town. This would be the perfect time for him to meet my friends, he had only heard the stories about them since he lived so far away and the only time he had been here, they had both been out of town. I knew he was looking forward to meeting them.

I called Emmett the second I got home, and was not surprised when he sounded as if he had just woken up. Typical Emmett, he might be strong and huge like a bear, but he was like a kitten when it came to dealing with a hangover. He'd spend the whole day in bed, curtains down and with nothing but aspirin and his TV to keep him company.

"What?" he murmured into the phone.

"Well good morning, sunshine! How are you doing on this fine evening?" I asked, a bit louder than probably necessary. I liked messing with him, especially when he wasn't close enough to punish me for it. I had endured too many episodes of 'spin the Bella' to count. It wasn't my idea of fun to be grabbed by the ankles and spun around until I was dangerously close to throwing up.

Unfortunately, it was Emmett's favorite game.

"Ugh, please hells Bells, keep it down… I have a massive headache"

"That's what you get when you're trying to party with the people from the big city!" I laughed, and he just grunted as response. "Anyway, I'm calling to offer you another chance to drink with the cool kids. My boss and her husband are having a party tomorrow, and I would love it if you had sobered up until then and joined me."

"Will Rosalie be there?" he asked, suddenly not sounding tired anymore.

I sighed, "Yes, horndog, she will be. And if you want me to introduce you to her, you better take me out and buy me dinner tonight."

"Deal!" he called, and I rolled my eyes. He'd seen pictures of Rosalie on my phone every time I had been home in Forks, and he had been looking forward to meeting her ever since.

"Good, now turn of the Grey's Anatomy DVD I know you're watching, get dressed and meet me outside Angelanos in thirty minutes, okay? You know where that restaurant is, don't you?"

"It's the one by that movie theater down town, right?"

"Yeah, the one with the big red sign. See you soon!" I said, about to hang up.

"Wait!" he called, "I totally forgot, I was gonna meet a friend for drinks tomorrow night, he's -"

"Bring him." I interrupted, already heading for my closet to change out of my work clothes. "Esmee won't mind."

"If you say so, Bells." Emmett chuckled, and I didn't have the patience to try and find out why that was funny.

Dinner with Emmett turned into drinks with Emmett, and before I knew it, we were stumbling down the street, sipping a beer and singing old Spice Girl's songs the way only we could.

Extremely bad, that is. And loud, I think we woke people up as we sang on the top of our lungs, doing our patented little dance and laughing our asses off. Then we went on to reminiscing about 'the old days' and sharing stories about all the people we had dated since we last spoke. That was a long conversation, since both Emmett and I liked to date a lot of people for a short period of time.

"Love 'em then leave 'em, I say!" Emmett stated, finishing his beer and then throwing the empty can elegantly into a trash bin. Well, elegant for someone who was drunk and still not rid of their hangover from the previous night.

I stopped, swaying slightly as I tried to focus on one of Emmett's faces. Had he always had three? That was odd…

_When did you get so drunk?_ My subconscious asked me, glaring at me an annoyed expression.

I pointed my finger towards where one of his faces was, "Dude, if that's the way you play it, I'm not introducing you to Rose!" I slurred, trying to look fierce.

"Ah, don't worry pumpkin, if I'm lucky enough to catch that _Thunnus thynnus, I'm not throwing it back into the ocean!"_

I glared at him, "Did you just refer to my best friend as a fish?"

Emmett laughed and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me to him as we continued down the street.

"You're forgetting that the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is the most expensive and sought after fish there is! In Japan, someone paid 100.000 dollars for _one freaking fish!_ Can you believe it? Those Japanese people are very funny." he mused, looking towards the night black sky.

How could he remember things like that when he was drunk? Emmett was one strange man…

We got home eventually, and since Emmett wasn't capable of finding his hotel in the state he was in, he decided to sleep on my couch instead.

I felt kind of bad that I had been out drinking two days in a row in the middle of the week, but thankfully I wasn't one of those people who suffered from paralyzing hangovers.

I snickered as I walked into the living room the next morning, seeing the one man who always suffered the worst hangovers in drinking history. Emmett was still asleep, his head under the pillows and one arm hanging off the couch.

After making enough coffee for two, I got dressed and put on my make up; hoping Emmett would be awake before I left for work.

He wasn't, so I left him a note telling him to lock the door with the spare key before he left and to help himself to anything he wanted from my kitchen.

As I walked to the office, I kind of regretted that last part. I'd forgotten that I had an entire box of Oreos left from when Rosalie and Alice had been over, and it would without doubt be gone by the time I got home. Emmett too had a thing for Oreos …

The day dragged, but luckily I was able to keep myself busy and not think about a certain green eyed man, the way I would have on a slow day.

I had lunch with Esmee as usual and told her that Emmett was coming to the party tonight and that he would bring a friend with him, which reminded me that I had to call my girls and make sure they knew about the plans for the night. I was happy that it was Friday, that meant that I didn't have to feel guilty about drinking again that night.

_Keep this up and you'll be an alcoholic in a few years…_ I ignored my snarky subconscious, I did like to drink, but it wasn't like I needed it to be able to enjoy myself.

You could have fun without alcohol. Or so I'd heard…

I called Alice when I got back after lunch, and she was of course aware that the party was that night. You could count on Alice to remember things like that. She and Rose would apparently pick me up at 7, something I hadn't known about but was glad to hear. I texted Emmett the address to Esmee and Carlisle home, and then my heart gave a not so subtle squeeze when my eyes fell on the name above Emmett's in my phone's contact list.

Edward Cullen.

_Text him! _My subconscious encouraged me; she was jumping up and down, clapping her hands in excitement.

I chewed on my lip, wanting to text him but at the same time not. I had promised myself that he would be nothing more than my client, and I really should stick to that. I mean, if just seeing his name made me feel all giddy and warm, what would it feel like to send him a text and get one back? I would probably squeal like a little girl, and I wasn't sure I could stand the embarrassment…

I put the phone back in my bag; I wasn't going to text him. I couldn't allow this silly obsession for Edward Cullen to develop any further; it was bad enough that I would have to work with him for the next couple of months… That would surely test my self-discipline to the limit.

Alice and Rose were outside my apartment at exactly 7:00. Alice sent me a text to let me know they were waiting, and I took one last glance in the mirror before I left.

I was wearing a midnight blue one shoulder dress, it ended mid thigh and clung to my body like a second skin. I knew Alice would love it, she always pushed for me to wear dresses as short and tight as possible, telling me that everyone should live by the rule 'if you've got it, flaunt it'.

After putting on my black Manolo pumps and grabbing my clutch from the hallway table, I headed outside to join my friends.

Esmee and Carlisle home was like a fairytale, there was no other way to describe it. Located just outside of town in a quiet and beautiful neighborhood, the huge white mansion with its impressive balcony and remarkably tall windows were quite the sight to behold. They had a huge garden, and I knew that it took no less than 3 gardeners to look after it. The house was shielded from view from the street by large, impeccably trimmed bushes.

We walked through a big, iron gate onto the path leading up to the house. There were already a lot of people standing around, most of them with a glass of champagne in their hands.

As always, there was a large party tent set up on the lawn behind the house. It looked like Esmee had invited half the town this year; I saw a few faces I recognized but most of the crowd were strangers to me. Alice immediately skipped off to greet Esmee, and her beautiful, yellow, summer dress swirled around her as she went.

"I'm going to get us some drinks." Rosalie said, heading towards the bar.

I followed Alice to where she stood talking to Esmee, and was more than a little pleased when I noticed Carlisle at her side.

_He's your boss's husband_… I kept repeating to myself, but it didn't help. It was impossible not to stare at Carlisle, he was so freaking handsome. Esmee caught my stares and rolled her eyes, smiling indulgently at me.

"Bella!" Carlisle called when he saw me. I was delighted, as always, when he pulled me in for a hug.

"How have you been? I hear your new client is something extra?" he winked at me, and I couldn't help but to laugh.

"I'm sure Esmee has given you all the details by now." I said, grinning. "She's never been one to keep secrets."

"Bella, honey, it's no secret when a man looks at you like that. Anyone could tell that he's head over heals for you." Esmee said happily, and I resisted the urge to disagree with her. Edward wasn't head over heals, Edward was horny as hell, more likely.

Rosalie arrived with our drinks then, and we continued to chat about none-Edward related subjects, thankfully. We all stared blissfully at Carlisle as he told us about the second honeymoon he was taking Esmee on, and I was sure that Alice and Rose's thoughts mirrored mine just then.

How did Esmee get so lucky and where can I find one for myself?

Monogamy wouldn't be so bad if it was with Carlisle…

"Hey, Bella!" A loud, cheerful voice called. I turned around and saw Emmett walking towards me, grinning from ear to ear. He wasn't watching me though; his eyes were fixed on Rosalie.

"Everyone, this is my friend Emmett McCarty." I said as he reached us, and Emmett shook hands with everyone, saving Rosalie for last. It was probably so that he could hold on to her hand for a while longer, but she definitely didn't mind. I had told her about Emmett too, of course, and she had been looking forward to meeting him.

Esmee and Carlisle went to greet some new arrivals, and Alice joined Kate and Angela on the small dance floor, shaking her hips to Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' and singing along to the lyrics.

"Your friend didn't come?" I asked Emmett, earning an angry glare from Rose as Emmett turned his eyes to me instead. Oh damn, she _so_ had the hots for him.

"He's here, but he met some people inside that he knew. I figured I'd find you and meet your friends instead. I don't really know the guy, but I thought it would be fun for him to come." he said, smirking at me.

"What? I thought he was your friend?" I asked, perplexed.

"Oh he is, we met just the other day but it turned out that we had a lot in common."

Why was he speaking so cryptically? It was very un-Emmett like.

"Okay weirdo, I just hope he doesn't turn out to be some psycho killer, 'cause then you'll be in serious trouble." I warned, but he just chuckled. "I'm gonna visit the restroom, you guys have fun while I'm gone." I gestured between Rose and Emmett; they were already gazing into each others eyes with matching goofy smiles on their faces.

The house was pretty much empty. I stopped to greet a few colleagues on my way to the bathroom on the second floor, figuring I should use that one instead of the one on the bottom floor. I desperately needed to pee, and I didn't want to risk having to queue.

After I left the bathroom, which had been empty –thank god-, I headed back down the corridor towards the stairs. I didn't get far though, because suddenly a man emerged from the corridor to my left, cutting off my path.

It wasn't just any man, it was _the _man_._ As in Edward Cullen.

Why was I not surprised? He had a talent for showing up when I least expected it, that much was obvious.

_He's a stalker! _My subconscious whispered conspiratorially, and I must say that I was tempted to agree with her at this point.

But of course, stalker or not, just the sight of his wonderful sex-hair, perfect skin and piercing eyes was enough to send a shiver of desire through me. Why did he have to be so fucking hot? Couldn't he have just one little flaw? A chipped tooth? Weird eyebrows? Huge ears? Anything to make him less perfect, because it kind of freaked me out gorgeous he was.

_Maybe he's an alien!_Okay, that's the last time I ever listen to my subconscious.

Edward smiled wickedly when he saw me, and came to stand before me. A bit closer than people usually stood, but I couldn't bring myself to back away.

"Well this is a coincident." he said, but I didn't buy it.

"I think it would actually be considered 'stalking', not 'coincident', Mr. Cullen." Did I sound angry? Hmm, I probably did. "Are you perhaps hoping to find somewhere to sleep tonight?"

He chuckled, "A man can hope, Miss Swan. But I'm too much of a gentleman to take advantage of your hospitality once more."

I raised an eyebrow. "Gentleman? I don't think a gentleman would have taken someone's panties, or molested a poor, pink rabbit by squashing him after having passed out on a girl's bed. And a gentleman wouldn't have fallen asleep with his head between that girl's breasts, taking up more than his side of the bed."

"Some of my finest moments, Miss Swan." he smirked. "And concerning the panties, I do remember you giving them to me, willingly."

I snorted, folding my arms over my chest. "You could at least have had the decency to return them."

"Ah, but you never said anything about that. I thought it was a present." Why did he have to sound so overconfident? It was maddening.

"Are you wearing them?" I asked before I could stop myself. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips as his eyebrows raised in surprises, and his mouth popped open.

In a second, his usual cocky expression was back. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he said, and it was my time to be shocked.

Part of me loved bickering with him like this, another part told me to run for the hills before something bad happened, and another part told me to shut up and just fuck him already.

I should probably have listened to the 'run for the hills' part…

His expression changed, and a warm smile played on his lips as he spoke again. "You look lovely, Miss Swan." I swallowed hard, fighting against the impulse to reach up on my toes and kiss him.

"Of course…" he added, "I don't think I've ever seen you look as beautiful as when I woke up next to you yesterday morning, but still. The color blue agrees with you."

My mouth fell open. What? Did he just say that? Oh god, please help me! This cannot be happening, Edward Cullen can not say stuff like that to me, it's not fair.

"Thank you" I murmured, and felt a very uncharacteristic blush color my cheeks.

I had looked away from his intense gaze, otherwise I might have been able to step back in time before he leaned down, slipped one hand around my neck and touched his lips to mine.

It did no good to fight; I knew I had already lost the battle. I kissed him back, almost melting as his other arm curled around my waist, pulling me to him. His soft, warm lips on mine was my undoing, I gave in to him, kissing him back hungrily. The passion between us was almost too much to bear, if felt like I would never get close enough to satisfy my need for him.

I put my hands against his chest and pushed him back against the wall, not breaking the kiss. I felt his hands trying to push me back so that he could turn and have me pressed against the wall instead, but I just mumbled "No…" against his lips, and moved closer.

I might have lost the battle, I thought as my fingers twisted in his hair, but I would not lose the war.

* * *

**What's that I'm hearing? A war? Oh hells bells, you don't know what you're getting yourself into. I hear Edward was a soldier in world war one (or was that Twilight-Ed? Hmm) anyway, I'm sure he knows how to work a...gun...or something else...**

**Reviews makes me really happy :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. **

**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm SORRY! Really, I am. I'm starving my poor readers, I know I am! My excuse is that I've just moved from my home in Sweden to my new home in Los Angeles, and it's been quite the rollercoaster! Love it, though :) I'm one step closer to finding Robert Pattinson, HAH! **

**Welll, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy! I'll try to update as soon as possible, but school starts in 10 days so I might have to focus on that, lol. **

**THANK YOU so much to everyone who is still reading. I love you all!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Did you just have sex with someone, Bella?"

_Oh, God, sometimes I swear Alice is psychic. _

Although she wasn't _quite_ right this time, but almost.

"No." I answered, looking around the crowded dance floor for a waiter. I needed a drink, and I needed it now. "I didn't have sex, what makes you think that?" I added innocently, knowing she wouldn't buy it.

"Oh, give it up girl! Your hair looks like haystack and your lipgloss is all messed up, not to mention the fact that you have the most ridiculous grin on your face." she rolled her eyes, "Tell me."

It didn't matter to Alice that there were people all around us, some of them obviously eavesdropping on us. Well, to tell the truth it didn't really concern me either.

I spotted a waiter with a tray of champagne glasses and quickly grabbed one, then turned back to Alice and smirked at her.

"Let's just say I had a little run in with Mr. Cullen."

Alice's mouth fell open, "What! Like, right now? He's here?"

I nodded, "Yeah, apparently he and Emmett bonded that night at the club, and Emmett invited him here."

I saw Emmett standing by the bar, next to a very starry eyed Rosalie. He seemed to sense my fierce gaze, because he turned his head in my direction.

"You. Are. Dead." I mouthed, knowing he would understand immediately what I was referring to. It had been his plan, after all.

Emmett just grinned and winked at me, turning back to Rosalie.

"So where is he? What happened?" Alice tugged on my arm, an excited gleam in her eyes.

I looked around, not sure where Edward had went off to when I left him at the stairs after our very hot and steamy make out session against the corridor wall. Spotting him on the other side of the dance floor, speaking to Carlisle, I turned to smile at Alice.

"He's over there" I said, motioning to where the two most gorgeous men in the entire world stood, talking and laughing like they'd known each other for years. Alice's eyes grew wide at what I guessed was the combined hotness of Edward and Carlisle.

"Wow, Bella. He's even more handsome than I remembered. Of course, he looked better with his pants off." she giggled, and I couldn't disagree with that.

"Yeah, he's almost too gorgeous, I feel insufficient." I muttered.

Alice poked me in the ribs, "Hey, none of that! If there is anyone who could stand next to Edward Cullen and look like she belongs with him, it's you."

She looked over at him again, and a grin spread over her face.

"You know that he keeps looking in your direction, right? He's watching you like a hawk, Bella." Alice said, and I wanted to roll my eyes at her exaggeration.

"Stop staring at him!" I said and waved my hands before her face to bring her back. I knew all too well how easy it was to get lost in the sight of Edward.

"Okay, okay. But I'm telling you, he's still looking at you." she laughed, and took another sip from her champagne glass. I had already finished mine, and was searching for the waiter so I could get another one.

We spent a few minutes talking, I told her how Edward had surprised me in the hallway and how I had surrendered to him once again. She squealed when I went into details about everything that had happened, hanging on to every word.

Alice loved to hear about everyone's sexcapades, and I loved sharing so it worked out quite well.

"So, what's the next step? Are we still going with the "show him who's the boss" plan or are you having second thoughts?"

"Yeah, about that… Damn it, Alice, I'm so confused! I like this game we're playing, but I have a bad feeling that if I keep it up, it could turn into something more difficult." I said, glancing over at Edward. Alice was right, he was still watching me. I couldn't help the thrill that went through me when our eyes met, it was insane how my whole body reacted just from one look. I wanted to go over there and finish what we had started before.

I had been determined not to go the whole way when we were upstairs, both out of respect for Esmee and Carlisle, and because I was still determined not to give Edward what he wanted so easily. Believe me, he had done his best to convince me otherwise, but I was quite stubborn, even when it came to Edward's charm.

But if I was being honest with myself, the reason I had resisted was because my epiphany from this morning was still fresh in my memory.

_If you let this situation get any more out of hand, you'll end up hurt. _

I had made a mistake when I gave in to him, even if I didn't end up having sex with him. But his touch, his voice and just the feeling of his lips against mine was enough to make another crack in my carefully built wall.

Alice shook her head slightly, then took both my hands in hers.

"Bella, I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. From the way you both look at each other, it's already turned into something more difficult than a random hook up. I've never seen you like this, not even with Jacob. You know how we hate when people say stuff like 'you're glowing' and shit like that? Well, looking at you now, there really isn't any other way to describe you." she laughed, "You're fucking glowing, Bella! Except for that frown, you look like Rose did when you introduced her to Emmett."

I wanted to laugh at her, or tell her she was mistaken, but I couldn't. And I was pretty sure that the grin that had been plastered on my face when I returned was evidence enough of what Edward Cullen's presence did to me.

"You want my advice?" she asked, grabbing us another champagne glass from a passing waiter.

"I guess, but I have a feeling I won't like it." I sighed, taking a sip.

"Get to know him! See if he's worth spending your time on, and if he is, go for it!"

I scoffed, "Yeah, that would have been a good plan for anyone but me. Commitment and trust issues, remember?" I said, gesturing to myself.

"We'll work on those." Alice said, and then seemed to sense, as she always did, that it was time for a lighter subject. "You wanna grab something to eat and then dance? It might help you take your mind of things if I can get the DJ to play our song?"

I laughed at the fact that Alice always knew exactly what I needed. Though, I wasn't sure I would be able to take my mind of 'things', a.k.a Edward Cullen, as long as he was no more than a few feet from me.

Oh well, I could always try, right?

We found Rose and Emmett at a table, untouched food in front of them and matching goofy grins on their faces as they stared at each other wordlessly.

"Hi lovebirds." I sang, happy that they seemed so into each other. They were two of my best friends, so I would love it if they got together, as long as Emmett treated her with respect of course. But by the way he was looking at her, I had no doubt that his days as player was way over.

"Oh, hi Bella! How did it go with Mr. Rich And Handsome?" Rosalie asked, tearing her eyes away from Emmett.

I rolled my eyes, no doubt Emmett had told her everything.

"Fine." I said, and then shot Emmett a dirty look. "It was a real coincidence that you just happened to bring Edward here, right? Say yes and I might consider not showing Rose all the pictures of you from your awkward teenage years."

Emmett looked horrified, but Rosalie just laughed and looked rather expectant. She didn't know what she was in for…

"You wouldn't!" he choked, glaring at me.

I snickered, then patted him on the back. "Don't worry, brace face, your secrets safe with me."

Alice grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the dance floor just as I heard Rose ask "Braces?" and Emmett whine my name.

"Let's just leave the happy couple and hit the dance floor, alright?"

I nodded, I didn't think I could spend another minute watching them being all cute and starry eyed with each other, it reminded me of the thing I shouldn't be reminded of.

Alice let go of my hand when we reached the dancing crowd, and headed for the DJ booth at the other side of the tent. I reached up on my toes to try and spot Angela and Kate, but before I could even start looking for them, I felt a pair of hands around my waist, pulling me back against a hard, sculptured chest.

"You just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" I said, a bit surprised that I hadn't felt him come up to me. Usually I would have known he was there even before he touched me.

"No, I don't think I can. Especially in that dress…"

The voice did not belong to Edward, and I spun around on my heal fast enough to make me slightly dizzy. Looking up, I found myself standing face to face with none other than James Miller, the man I had met at the club just the other night.

He looked absolutely gorgeous, with his dark blonde hair and tanned skin. His cheeks had the sexiest stubble, just the way I liked it. I remember that he had been clean shaved when I met him the last time, but I preferred him this way. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed, and the look suited him perfectly.

"James!" I smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

_Mmm, scratchy…_

"It's a small world, isn't it?" he said, smirking.

I couldn't help putting my hand on his bicep in a rather flirtatious manner, this man made me want to do dirty things…

"So it would seem. How come you're here? I thought you were going out of town?" I asked, secretly very pleased that he was there. Maybe James was just what I needed to forget about Edward and all the complications that he entailed.

James rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and glanced at me with that same signature smirk I remembered from the other night, making him look even hotter, if possible.

"Yeah, the trip was cancelled. Apparently there was some strike among the pilots, and I found out last minute. So, since Dr. Carlisle is an old friend of my parents, I decided to come here instead." he explained, and then added in a suggestive tone, "And I'm really, really glad I did."

"So am I." I smiled, resisting the urge to reach out and touch his cheek. I knew Edward was around here somewhere, and I probably shouldn't do anything to offend him since I was just with him a few moments ago.

_But then again... Maybe it would be a good idea to flirt with James? Perhaps it would prove what kind of man Edward really is; if he would be upset or if he simply doesn't care. If it does offend him, could that mean that I am more than just a cocky, hard to get girl that he just want to bag?_

Deciding to put Edward's intentions to the test, I took James' hand and pulled him with me onto the dance floor. I earned a disapproving look from Alice, who was returning from the DJ's booth.

Rolling my eyes at her, I turned to dance with James to the song Alice had requested. The dance floor was really crowded now, it was getting late and more and more people, who had gotten their fair share of champagne, were beginning to leave their seats at the tables.

It really was a beautiful night, I thought, as James placed his arms around my waist and looked down on me with a sexy grin, making my breath hitch slightly.

The sky was pitch black by now, and the lights around the tent and in the trees around the garden lit up the scene perfectly, creating a warm atmosphere even though the air was slightly chilly. The sound of laughter and clinking glass mixed with the music coming from speakers placed strategically around the tent, and I knew that if I were to move a few feet to the left, I would be able to see the star lit river running nearby.

Esmee had decorated the small dock she'd had built there with ball shaped lights, and the path leading down there was lit by torches on either side. It looked like something out of a dreamy romance novel, but despite my distaste for anything romantic, I had a sudden craving to go over to the dock, sit down and let my feet touch the water while Edward held me close and whispered softly in my ear…

_Wait, what? Did I say Edward? Oh, good god this is not going the way I planned…_

"So, how about that rain check you promised me?" James whispered in my ear, but it was not at all the way I had imagined Edward doing it.

Mentally kicking myself for thinking about Edward that way, I pressed myself closer to James, as if though his presence could erase any foolish ideas that might pop into my head.

Just as I was about to answer, not really having a clue to what I would actually say, the voice I had imagined whispering sweet words to me suddenly spoke from behind me, though there was nothing sweet or tender in his tone now.

"Are you lost, Miss Swan? Or do you simply have a habit of running from one mans arms to another?" Edward said, and I froze.

Holy shit, it felt as if he had punched me in the stomach with his words, they hit me harder than I could ever have imagined.

I turned slowly, afraid to see the expression on his face. James let go of me, obviously surprised by Edwards tone, and probably also by the fact that he was here. No doubt he remembered Edward from our little run in at the club.

If Edward's voice had been cold, it was nothing compared to his eyes. The way he watched me chilled me to the bone, and I suddenly felt like I was seven years old again, just having been caught stealing cookies from the jar by my kindergarten teacher.

Only, she had scolded me for about 2 minutes before letting me go play with the other kids again, but I had a feeling that Edward was much better with holding grudges.

And I seriously doubted he wanted me to play with anyone else…

"I'm not lost, I'm dancing." I said, trying to sound fierce. After all, I was only dancing, though I might have intended to take things a little bit further, but he didn't know that. And who was he to tell me what I can and cannot do, anyway?

Edward lifted one eyebrow, "It looked like more than that to me."

"Then perhaps you should have your eyesight checked." I snapped, and then instantly regretted it.

James let out a low whistle, and held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, I'm gonna go get us something to drink, Bella, and let you and Mr. Bossy talk."

"No, James, you don't have to-" I began, but he had already disappeared through the dancing crowd.

"Great…" I mumbled, and then pushed past Edward, ignoring the thrill that went through me when our hands momentarily touched. I stalked off towards the dock, hoping that I wasn't being followed.

Why on earth was this so confusing? I had wanted to test him, right? So why wasn't I happy now that I had gotten my answer?

I sighed as I reached the wooden dock, deciding that I would probably never understand the strange ways my screwed up brain worked.

The sound from the partygoers faded away as I walked further and further down the narrow path, instead I could make out the sounds coming from the forest on the other side of the river, as well as the soft splashes of water as the gentle waves hit the dock.

The moon was full tonight, and I marveled at the sheer beauty of the star lit sky as I sat down at the edge of the dock, removing my shoes and placing them beside me so that I could let my feet touch the cool water.

I sat there for quite some time, staring out towards the sky while the night breeze swept over me from the river. I tried to recognize some of the stars, remembering all the nights my dad, Charlie, had sat with me on the front porch of our house and pointed them all out for me.

Suddenly, I caught sight of something in the water. Was it a fish, maybe?

I leaned forward, trying to see it again.

"Bella."

The voice startled me, I had been so caught up in trying to see what it was in the water, that I hadn't heard someone approach me.

I cried out as I lost my balance, I had been leaning too far out and I hadn't held on to the dock as hard as I should have.

The water was suddenly everywhere, blinding me and making me choke on it as I hadn't closed my mouth from the screaming. I kicked with my feet to try and get to the surface, and then suddenly felt an arm around my waist, pulling me up.

When I broke the surface, I coughed water for quite some time, blinking to get the water out of my eyes. The arm was still around me, and of course I knew who the person was that had caused me to fall into the water.

"For fuck sake, Cullen, give a girl some warning before you try to drown her!" I spluttered, still coughing.

The water wasn't cold at all, luckily, and I showed his arm off me and grabbed hold of the dock instead to keep me up. Edward was watching me with an expression that could both me amusement and disbelief, I didn't really know which. His hair was soaking wet and clung to his forehead, but of course he still looked like a god.

I probably looked like a wet dog.

"It's not my fault you were sitting so close to the edge! And honestly, how easily frightened can a person be?" Edward retorted, also grabbing onto the dock so that he was only inches away from my face.

I kept kicking to keep afloat, and I might accidentally have hit his leg. "I didn't hear you! It looks like you have a thing for sneaking up on me, damn it."

"Perhaps, if you were a bit more observant, you would have heard or seen me coming." he said, his tone colder than the icy breeze.

"If _you_ had been more observant, you would have realized that I was not aware of your presence." I started swimming towards the latter on the other side of the dock, but before I could get far, Edward's hand gripped my ankle and he pulled me back roughly, forcing me to grab onto the dock again.

"What are –" I began, but then he let go of my ankle and grabbed my waist instead, pulling me to him.

I didn't have time to think before his lips were on mine, forcing my mouth open and slipping his warm tongue inside. He kept us both afloat as I locked my legs around his waist, kissing him back fiercely.

My fingers twisted in his hair and I sucked on his bottom lip as he slipped one hand under my thighs, then sliding his fingers underneath the soaked fabric of my dress.

It was the perfect romance novel moment; just the two of us in the water under a star lit sky, the sound of our ragged breathing hanging in the air and wet skin touching and tasting with intense passion. It could have turned into something more if I had allowed myself to let go and just feel, but that nagging voice in the back of my head kept telling me that having sex with Edward would be the end of all self control and self-preservation. It was bad enough that I couldn't resist kissing him… Not that anyone could blame me; I mean I'm talking about Edward Fucking Cullen. Resistance is useless.

My romance novel turned into a horror novel after several minutes of heated kisses in the water, when the sound of a woman's high pitched scream broke the spell we'd been under.

"BELLA! YOU'D BETTER NOT BE IN THE WATER WEARING YOUR THOUSAND DOLLAR VERSACE DRESS, OR I WILL STRANGLE YOU WITH SEAWEED, SO HELP ME GOD!"

Alice had impeccable timing, as always. I sighed, and untangled myself from Edward reluctantly.

"I'm here, Alice." I called, and swan to the latter. I felt Edward behind me, but didn't look back at him as I climbed up on the dock, the water dripping from every inch of my body.

Alice stared at me in terror, her eyes glued to the soaked dress. I looked down, also pissed off that my dress was probably ruined. I had liked this one, and not just because Edward had complemented it before…

Edward came up on the dock as well, and Alice's eyes moved to him instead. Then her mouth fell open as she looked between the two of us.

"Why were you both in the water?" she asked, suspicious.

I rolled my eyes, "Edward surprised me and I fell in." I explained, and then turned to him, trying not to think of the gorgeous way his white shirt clung to his perfect upper body. "I guess you went in after me to play hero and try to save me or something?"

In my peripheral vision, I saw that Alice gave me a stern look.

"I'm no hero, Miss Swan, but if a girl falls into the water, I feel obligated to pull her out." Edward said, running his hand through his wet hair. Tiny water droplets were in his eyelashes and on the top of his lip, and I longed to reach up and smooth them away.

"Yeah, since it was your fault, you would be obligated." I began walking, Alice following behind me with my shoes in a firm grip. No doubt wanting to be sure they didn't end up in the water as well.

"Wait!" Edward called, and I instinctually did what he asked and turned around.

He had picked up his black jacket that he apparently had taken off before he got in after me, and was now holding it out to me with a concerned expression on his beautiful face.

"Take this, I don't want you to get cold." he said, and then draped the jacket over my shoulders. It was too big on me, but it smelled amazing. Just like Edward did, of course.

I pulled it closer around me and smiled at him, "Thank you."

He nodded, and then walked past me and Alice towards the house. I followed him with my gaze until he disappeared into one of the side doors, and then shook my head as if to clear it.

Alice was watching me intently, a speculate look in her eyes.

"What?" I asked, shrugging. I was getting cold, despite Edward's heavenly scented jacket, and wanted to go home. I had a lot of thinking to do.

She smiled a huge smile then, and started walking up the path.

"Oh it's nothing." she said, reaching out to take my hand. "It's just nice to see your best friend falling in love."

And for once, I was at a loss for words.

* * *

**Oh! High Maintenence is getting an update soon as well, I'm actually trying to write a new chapter for all my stories within a week! :)**

Reviews for Wet-ward? Come on, you know he deserves one!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: S. Meyer owns Twilight. Duh.**

**Yes. It's been a while. Yes. You're allowed to hate me. No. I haven't met Robert yet, I think he's hiding. Don't worry though, I'll find him.**

**Okay, okay. I'll let you read. **

* * *

**Chapter**** 7**

I was in Esmee's room, just having changed out of my soaking dress into a pair of jeans and a black top, when I heard a knock on the door. Looking up, I saw Rosalie peek in, a speculate look on her face.

"Hey hun, how's it going?" she asked, stepping into the room with Alice in tow.

I pulled on the black boots Esmee had also lend me, and leaned against the drawer. Shaking my head, I tried to find a good way to explain the chaos going on in my head. Not the easiest thing in the world I might add.

I shrugged, "I have absolutely no idea, Rose. And that's the honest truth. I'm so fucked up right now, it's not even funny."

Alice stepped forward and took my hand, giving it a light squeeze and smiling a tentative smile.

"It's okay to be fucked up when something like this happens, Bella. I know it's not easy for you to accept, but I saw the way you looked at him, and I know what's happening."

I shook my head again and walked past her. I couldn't think about all this right now, I needed to go home and get a good night's sleep before I tried to dig deeper into this mess.

_In love with Edward Cullen... Way to set yourself up for the heartbreak of the century, Bella. _

"I'm not in love, Alice. I don't even know the guy." Well, it wasn't a total lie. I didn't know him, not really.

Alice sighted, "Whatever you say, honey. But we're gonna talk about this tomorrow when we're all sober and when you've had time to clear your head."

She always knew. It was kind of creepy, but I still appreciated it.

"Thanks, Ali." I said, and then looked over at Rose. She was watching me skeptically, and I knew why. "Don't even start, Rose. I'm not that stupid, I promise. Falling for Edward Cullen is the last thing I would ever let myself do."

She nodded, but I could see that she wasn't entirely convinced yet.

"Good. Because Bella, you know better than me that men like him are not to be trusted, under _any_ circumstances."

_Yeah, you could say that again._

When we got back downstairs and out into the garden, most of the guests had began to drop off. Only a few remained, standing in a group around Esmee and Carlisle, who both looked very pleased. The party had been a success, as usual.

I looked around for Edward, but before I could spot him, James was suddenly there, looking at me with an amused smile on his lips.

"Hi there." he came to stand before me, and I saw from the corner of my eye that Alice and Rose went over to the rest of the guests, giving us privacy. "I must say, as much as I loved what you were wearing before, you look great this way as well."

I returned his smile, "I had a little accident by the lake. A costume change was necessary."

James laughed, "Now I understand why Edward was dripping wet and asked Carlisle if he could borrow something dry to wear." he raised one eyebrow, "Did you push him into the lake?"

"No." I rolled my eyes, "He scared me, and I fell in. Then that idiot tried to save me, which was not even necessary since I very well know how to swim."

"Of course a girl like you know how to take care of yourself, but you can't blame the guy for trying, right?" he kept smiling, and I found that I liked James more and more every passing second. He was kind, funny, really fucking handsome and probably a gentleman. He also had that bad boy "I'm not looking for something serious, but if you're up for it, we could have some fun" attitude.

Perfect.

"Guess not." I smiled, and then caught sight of something bronze and tousled in my peripheral vision. I ignored the way my heartbeats picked up, and kept my focus on the gorgeous man in front of me instead of looking over at Edward.

But of course, I couldn't help to peak over at him as James kept talking, and when I saw Edward walk up to a beautiful, blond woman and whisper in her ear, I didn't even pretend to listen to what James was saying anymore.

_Who the FUCK is that? _My subconscious snarled, baring her teeth.

The woman was fucking hot, I had to admit. She had perfect, white smile, which she showed off by laughing out loud at something Edward had just said, and her body was that super trimmed, 'I go to the gym 6 times a week because it's sooo fun' kind. She looked appallingly perfect.

I hated her guts already.

"So what do you say, Bella? You up for it?"

I snapped my eyes back to James, realizing I had no idea what he had just said.

"Uhm, yeah. Sure, sounds great." I answered, clueless to what I had just agreed to.

James winked, "Alright then, I'm just gonna say goodbye to Esmee and Carlisle, then we can take off."

_Oh. _That's_ what I agreed to? Huh, interesting. _

I saw Edward and Blondie also heading to where the host couple was standing. The blonde bitch was still smiling her fucking Colgate smile and clinging to his arm like a freaking 3 year old.

"I'll come with you." I said quickly, and James held out his arm for me to take. Which I did, gracefully. Not in the way the bitch was doing. No fucking manners, that one.

I looked around and noticed that the only guests left now were me, James, Alice, Rose, Emmett, Edward and Blondie. I briefly wondered where Rose would be sleeping tonight. Judging by the arm around her shoulders and the way she leaned into Emmett's side, I would guess that at least she wouldn't be sleeping alone… I was happy for them both, but would sure as fuck kick Emmett's ass if he screwed up even a little.

We reached Carlisle and Esmee at the same time as Edward and Blondie did, and an awkward silence occurred as my girls and Esmee looked from me to Edward, and Edward glared at James.

Carlisle was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat quietly. "So, I hope you all had a good time?" he said, smiling.

"It was great. Thank you so much, Carlisle, Esmee. I'm so glad I could make it after all." James said, and I realized that he and Carlisle were probably the only ones who didn't quite get the weird tension in the group.

Well, Blondie most likely didn't get it either, but what else could you expect from someone who looked like a freaking Barbie doll with fake boobs?

Rosalie caught my gaze and lifted an eyebrow, giving me a look that said; _'easy there, tiger.'_ Was it that obvious what I was thinking about Edward's new arm accessory? Huh, lucky I didn't give a crap.

"I'll be sure to return your clothes first thing on Monday, Esmee. Thanks again." I said as I stepped forward to hug her goodbye.

"Don't worry about it, darling. I'm just happy we're the same size!" she laughed, kissing my cheek.

More goodbyes were exchanged, and I miraculously managed to avoid both Edward and Blondie in the sea of hugs and handshakes. I heard her say thank you to Esmee, and had to stop myself from gagging at the sound of her sugary, ingratiating voice.

While James was exchanging a few words with Emmett, my girls pulled me aside.

"Who's that Playboy girl trying to hump Edward's leg?" Alice asked, gesturing towards Blondie.

Rose crinkled her nose as if smelling something bad, "My skankradar went off just by smelling that nasty cheap perfume she's obviously taken a bath in. And hasn't anyone told her that less isn't always more? I mean, look at that dress! It's the size of a handkerchief for fucks sake!"

You know someone is wearing something too revealing when Rosalie comments on it. She's the queen of miniskirts and short dresses, and has taught us the exact length that is acceptable on various occasions. Blondie obviously never attended that class.

"I have no idea, but I don't give a shit. I mean that man probably has ten of those back in his apartment, waiting for him to bother taking a look at them." I met Edward's gaze, giving him a 'Are you seriously going to fuck that chic?' look, and then turned my back on him. "I'm spending the night with James, anyway."

"You're going to have sex with him?" Rose asked, straight to the point as always.

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "What happens, happen. It's not like it's a big deal, right?"

My words were met with silence, and I looked from Alice to Rose, confused by how similar their expressions were. They seemed to be thinking; "Oh, that poor girl has no idea."

Wow, that was annoying. Seeing that look once was enough, and now they had ganged up on me? Traitors, I say.

"Cut it out, please. I'm a big girl, I wouldn't do anything I'm not comfortable with, and you know that." I turned and walked away before I had to witness another one of those pity glances.

I grabbed James' hand and pulled him with me towards the parking lot, waving goodbye to my girls as I went. I would probably get some crap for this tomorrow, but right now all that mattered was that I put as much distance between me and Edward as possible.

James tagged along, obviously delighted that I was so eager to leave. I kept telling myself that I was doing the right thing, because I really was. I wasn't committed to Edward in any way, other than that he was my client.

Huh, that shit would be awkward come Monday morning, I realized. But there was no point of dwelling on it now. He would go home and fuck Blondie, and I would fuck James all night and then some. Yes, I could do that. Edward would not be on my mind anymore; I could lose myself in James and forget all about the mess and confusion Edward created.

"My place or yours?" James asked, pulling out his car key. I was glad when he pushed the unlock button to a black convertible, proving that this was a man with both style and money. He opened the door for me, and I gave him a seductive smile as I climbed in.

"Your place." I said, because I didn't really like inviting men over to my place if I didn't know them. I liked my privacy, and I valued having the opportunity to sneak out in the morning if I so wished. When you invited them to come to your place, it was much harder to avoid the whole 'Wow, that was great. Do you mind if I stay for coffee? Want to go out tonight?' talk in the morning. I hated that part, so I usually didn't let the guys get past my front door.

Well, that's not entirely true, I realized. Just the other night I had actually dragged a man across my threshold, and he had been the one to leave before I woke up in the morning. Fucking Cullen, always making me do shit backwards.

oOoOoOo

James Miller had an amazing home in the right neighborhood, and I was impressed by how clean the place was. I'd seen my fare share of bachelor apartments throughout my dating days, some of them too appalling for words. Let's just say there wasn't room to execute even one of my favorite karma sutra positions, so I usually pulled my standard 'Oh shit, I just realized I forgot to feed the cat' line and got the hell out of there, before he could force me into some boring 69 shit or expected me to fuck on his minimal kitchen table.

But hell, this place was both huge and also perfectly masculine. As an interior designer, I recognized great taste when I saw it, and James definitely had taste. The tall windows, cream white sofas with cushions in different shades of brown, a huge open fireplace and various landscape paintings on the walls was the perfect mix of a warm and elegant style.

"Very nice." I complimented as James took my jacket, "You've done a good job, the place looks great."

"Coming from you, that really means something." James laughed, leading the way to the sofas. I sat down and smiled, feeling very comfortable. "Can I get you a glass of wine?" he asked, and I agreed with a nod, looking at the beautiful framed picture to my right. It was lovely view over New York at night, showing a black sky and a thousand lights coming from the huge buildings. I found it a bit comical as I looked out the floor to ceiling windows and saw almost the exact same view, but decided not to comment on it. The guy had to be allowed to have some flaws, didn't he?

James returned with a bottle of red wine and two glasses, putting them down on the table in front of me and uncorking the bottle with a flourish.

"So, Bella Swan, tell me about yourself." James said as he sat down beside me, putting his arm casually on the sofa edge behind me.

I mentally rolled my eyes, knowing very well that a guy like James wasn't really interested in hearing a girl's lifestory at 2 in the morning. I wasn't interested in sharing either, so I decided to skip the bullshit.

I took a drink of my wine and then put the glass down, scooting closer to him so that our legs were touching.

"Why don't we get to know each other in a much more interesting way?" I whispered as I leaned forward, letting my lips grace the skin just under his ear. I felt him shiver slightly, and knew that I was on the right track.

His voice was a bit huskier when he spoke again, "Sounds like a plan. Should we get to know each other here, or do you want to get familiar with my bedroom as well?"

I smiled, leaning back so that I could look him in the eyes again. "Well, this couch is awfully expensive looking, so maybe we should relocate…"

James stood up and extended a hand for me to take. I usually would have hated the gesture, since I was fully capable of getting off the couch by my self, but I figured I could humor him.

He pulled me up flush against his body, smiling down at me with intense eyes. I bit down on my lip, something I had discovered turned men on like hell. As James hand found mine and he started leading me through the living room and towards his bedroom, I couldn't help but to miss the feeling of someone else's hand around mine. I tried to shake that unwelcome thought, intent on going through with this without any intrusion. Edward Cullen would not be ruining the moment for me.

The bedroom had the same color scheme as the rest of the apartment, and my eyes immediately fell on the huge bed placed in the middle of the room. To say it looked inviting was to put it mildly.

So why did I feel a knot in my stomach at the sight? And why did I have the sudden longing to be in my own bed, with a different man at my side? I couldn't make sense of it all, this weird sensation was so foreign to me. It had been years since I had craved a certain man's touch this way, and I wasn't comfortable with the feeling.

James turned to face me when we were right by the bed, and I forced myself to stop thinking so much and just go with it. I began to unbutton his shirt, but before I could finish he grabbed the edge of my top and pulled it up, so I stretched my arms out to help. When it was off, he wound his arms around my waist and placed his hands on the small of my back, pushing me towards him.

This is where the normal Bella would have taken charge, shoving him back onto the bed and climbing on top of this gorgeous man who could most likely do things to me that few men could. James had that certain something, and had I met him pre Edward Cullen, I wouldn't have had a doubt in my mind that I was doing the right thing.

But as James lips touched mine, my whole body screamed at me to stop.

"I have to feed my cat." I blurted out, taking a step back.

He raised one eyebrow, looking a bit confused. "Your cat?"

"Yeah," I said, picking up my shirt from the floor, "I totally forgot I haven't fed her tonight, she's probably starving by now."

It was probably blasphemes, giving that line to a man like James, but I didn't have a choice. I had to get out of there before I started to freak. Maybe I would have to get a cat just to make up for it…

James chuckled, undeterred by my sudden mood swing. "Baby, I was planning to feed your pussycat all night, but if you gotta go, you gotta go."

Okay, that was kind of corny.

"I don't think she'd eat what you can offer, but thanks." I winked at him, hoping there weren't any hard feelings. I didn't want him to think that I was a cock tease, because that was certainly not the case.

"As you wish, I guess we'll just have to take another raincheck."

I smiled, "You've got it." And with that, I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left, wondering what the fuck was wrong with me these days.

oOoOoOo

The next day I was able to postpone having to endure the interrogation from my girls for a few hours, because Emmett called me and asked if I wanted to meet up for lunch. I agreed, happily, and decided that we should go the newly opened restaurant "Cantina" by Central Park.

Emmett didn't waste any time, we hadn't even gotten our drinks before he started questioning me.

"So, spill the beans, Hells Bells."

I shrugged out of my denim jacket, putting it on the chair beside me. "There are no beans to be spilled." I answered noncommittally.

"Is that a metaphor?" Emmett snickered, "Does it mean you didn't have sex with that dude from last night? Cause Bells, you look like shit today, no offense, so I would have thought you'd been at it all night and all morning."

"Geez, thanks Emmett." I muttered, trying to fix my messy ponytail. I hadn't slept well that night, I'd been too busy wondering what the fuck Edward and Blondie was doing. The result? Dark circles under bloodshot eyes, fucked up hair in need of a wash and no make up. I just loved Emmett for pointing shit like that out to me.

Our drinks arrived then, and I took a huge gulp of my Heineken to try and chase the hangover away. "I didn't have sex with him, you nosy bastard. And if you know what's good for you, you won't say a word about what you and Rose did last night." I threatened. I was well aware that I would have to listen to Rose go on and on about him later that day, and I wasn't in the mood to hear the same shit twice.

"Fine, fine." Emmett said, smirking. "But just so you know, we didn't have sex."

"Of course you didn't." I rolled my eyes and picked up a piece of bread to chew on.

"Seriously, we didn't."

I looked up, "Was that her decision or yours?"

He beamed, "Mine. I like that girl, so I figured I'd take it slow and shit, you know? Be a gentleman and all of that."

I couldn't help but to laugh, "Damn, who would have thought I'd see the day? Emmett the manwhore turns gentleman, now there's an unexpected twist."

"Yeah, well I sure as hell didn't think I'd ever see the day where my best friend falls head over heals over some hot shot guy and passes on a perfectly good fuck because she can't get hot shot out of her head."

I froze. "What?"

Please tell me Emmett did not just say that shit, because if he could have figured it out, I was way too obvious.

It was his time to roll his eyes now, and he decided to torture me by taking a big piece of bread, popping in into his mouth and then gulp down half his beer before answering.

"You forget that I know you really fucking well, honey. I saw you with him that night we were at Palace, and then again yesterday. You can't hide shit like that from me." he took another swig, "and besides, you have no pokerface what so ever."

I groaned, "God damnit, Emmett. This is so fucked up! I don't even like that asshole."

Our waiter who had just arrived with our food widened her eyes at my choice of words, and when she had put our pizzas on the table, mumbling "Enjoy your meal." she hurried away.

"Don't scare the poor girl with your foul mouth, Bells. You're such a man." Emmett laughed, and I had to join in.

"Whatever, dickhead." I chuckled as I started on my pizza.

He nodded approvingly "There's my girl. So what are you gonna do about the Edward situation? I mean you can't _not_ fuck him, since you can't fuck anyone else because of him. Tricky."

I sighed and chewed on my pizza for a while before answering. "Maybe I'll become a nun. Imagine how easy their lives must be."

Emmett stared at me for a minute, disbelief in his eyes. "Fuck, Bella. Don't say shit like that, you're scaring me. It's like saying you'd give up beer." he shivered, and then shook his head. "What you need to do is get to know the guy. He's really great, believe me."

"Maybe you should fuck him then." I snapped, only because he had more or less stated what I knew I should do.

Emmett shrugged his shoulders, "Nah, I like to have somewhere to put my dick."

I laughed, "Yeah? Well, I can think of other places to-"

"Shut up! Too visual, for fuck sake, Bella." he put his hands over his ears like a small child, and started humming.

We spent the rest of our lunch talking about what had happened back home since I'd been there, and also a great deal about Rose. I was glad that he seemed to be serious about her, because I would really hate to have to castrate the motherfucker if he screwed up.

Alice texted me and told me that she had met a guy who'd asked her out that night, so she wanted to know if it was okay to reschedule our girlsnight. I didn't mind, I really felt like spending the night at home with a good movie and a glass of wine, without having to think of or talk about Edward. Well, I could probably not avoid the thinking part, but I'd have to work with that.

Emmett was glad to hear of our cancelled plans, since that meant Rosalie would be free for him to ask out. He called her while I devoured my cheesecake, and was so wrapped up in whatever she was telling him over the phone that he didn't even notice when I ate his dessert as well.

I had to put something in my mouth now that I wasn't getting what I really craved. Fucking Cullen, he'd make me fat if this was to continue. I didn't even get my favorite workout since I couldn't have sex.

That's it. This shit had to end. I would not allow any man to stand in the way of me getting laid, uh huh. Maybe James was just wrong, somehow. Maybe I needed something else, or rather some_one_ else. It couldn't hurt to try, right?

Screw movie night, I needed to find a man.

"Emmett." I called, waving a hand in front of his eyes to get his attention. He looked up at me, the phone still by his ear.

"Yeah?"

"I need to go out tonight, and you and Rose are going with me."

Operation Man Hunt was about to begin.

oOoOoOo

_**Edwards point of view. **_

I'd never believed in that love at first sight crap, neither had I ever believed that people should pare up in two and two and expect that they will be together for the rest of their lives. I'd seen too many failures to ever think that shit could work. I lived by the conviction that a person should do whatever the fuck he or she wanted to, and not go setting themselves up for heartbreak by trusting another person and thinking they were the exception to the rule.

Because the truth is, nothing lasts forever.

I was well aware that the women in my life were hoping and praying that I would change my mind and begin seeing them as something more than just a easy fuck, even though I'd told them over and over that that shit wasn't going to happen. Monogamy was for gays and religious people. Or so my best friend and ally, Jasper, would always say. He was a bigger player than I was, and that was saying something.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a complete asshole. I make it very clear right from the start that I am not looking for something serious, neither do I expect a woman to be monogamous to me. I'm a very busy man, and trying to make a relationship work while running my own company was not something that interested me. My mother always said that it all came down to the fact that I hadn't met the right woman yet, and that when I eventually did, I would understand what I had been missing.

My mom, Elizabeth Masen, was the only woman who I loved and trusted. She had always been there and when my father had passed away, she and I had sort of become a team. She supported me when I was struggling to build my company from scratch, always encouraging me to be involved in every aspect of my businesses and to not be afraid to ask for advice when things got tough. Which they did, a lot, in the beginning of my career. But now, I had achieved every goal I had ever set up for myself.

I had my very successful company, and I was able to get involved in causes that were close to my heart, but not profitable, thanks to its success. I participated in several charity sports events, and hosted an annual event to support the families of victims killed by drunk drivers. When I was 11, my dad was killed by a man who had been driving under the influence, and I had always known that I wanted to do something to help people in the same situation me and my mom had been.

But after completing goal after goal, I had recently begun to wonder where it was all going. That nagging voice in the back of my head, also known as my mom's voice, kept telling me that there was no point in achieving all of this if you didn't have anyone to share it with.

I argued that I did share, a lot. I shared with a hell of a lot of women, and I loved it.

Well, up until recently, when I saw a certain brown haired woman down a glass of vodka as if it was water, and then do the sexiest pole dancing known to man.

Bella Swan was something else entirely, and I had no idea how to even begin to make sense of her. I'd never met a woman who was so fucking competitive and strong, neither had I met anyone who cursed as much. To say I was impressed by her would be an understatement. And there was also the little detail about how she seemed to want to defy me in everything; she wasn't like all the other girls who would throw themselves at me whenever I snapped my fingers.

It was so fucking frustrating, and also hot as hell. I'd never had to chase a woman like this, and to be honest, I didn't know why I did it. I could have anyone I wanted, so why was I so fixed on the idea of having her?

The feeling I'd got the night at Palace, when I'd seen her in the arms of that fucking James Miller, was unsettling and more than a little confusing. I had tried to occupy myself so that I could forget about her presence, a feat that had proven to be impossible. But when I saw her getting in a cab with that scum, I hadn't been able to control myself. Too much to drink and also on a strange Bella Swan high, I had gotten into a cab and told the driver to follow her. I was more than relieved when she'd been the only one to get out of the car, and that's when I had made the somewhat unconscious decision to go into her apartment building after her. The rest of that night is still kind of blurry, but I can still remember her sweet scent and the way she looked when I woke up next to her in the morning.

I wanted her, but I didn't know for what. She wasn't the 'screw her and leave her' kind of girl, neither did I think I would ever be able to do that. Since the first time we'd fucked outside that club, I hadn't been able to think about anyone but her. Hell, I hadn't even been able to have sex with anyone after that. All the women I met were the same, boring type, and I didn't find that shit attractive at all. Every time one of those blond chic's tried to seduce me, I kept imagining a pair of brown eyes, and the moment was ruined.

Get what I'm saying? I couldn't fucking enjoy sex anymore, thanks to Bella Swan. Well, I couldn't even get as far as to try to enjoy it, because the women didn't turn me on. All I wanted was to have _her_ in my arms, to feel _her_ touch and to hear _her_ voice saying my name.

I was more than a little pissed at myself, since sex was usually the way I let off steam and managed to relax. Now I was fucked up and had to go to the gym twice a day to get some tension out of my body.

I wanted Bella Swan, craved her, but I had no fucking idea how to get her.

I realized that I would have to wait to figure that shit out though, cause as it were, I was sitting in my car, trying to drive home from Esmee and Carlisle party while Jasper's little sister Tanya had her hands all over me.

Tanya was the most persistent girl I knew, but I doubted even she could set my mind straight right then, seeing as how I had my head full with the vision of Bella in that soaking wet dress.

I should probably try to pry Tanya off of me and leave her at Jasper's place, though he would be pissed at me for it. He knew I'd been fucking his sister for years, but it wasn't as if he gave a crap about it. He and Tanya didn't exactly get along, so he wouldn't appreciate having her show up at his place in the middle of the night.

But fuck, who was I kidding? The guy was probably out partying or busy charming some girl's panties off.

So drop off it was, Tanya didn't have anything to offer that I wanted right now anyway. I would go home and bang my head in the wall, trying to clear my fucking head so that shit could go back to normal. And I would not, under any circumstances, let myself think of the fact that Bella was with James right now.

Cause then I would sure as fuck find out where that shithead lived and storm the place and make sure he kept his dick far from my girl.

_Wait a second, Cullen. MY girl? _

Oh fuck, I was so screwed.

* * *

Aha! A little peek inside Eddies head. Hope you enjoyed! Leave me looooove :)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Let's keep on dancing, shall we?**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

At 8:30 that night, I was putting the final touches to my make up. I was dressed in a red, tight little dress that Alice and Rosalie had gotten me on my eighteenth's birthday. It still fit me perfectly, though my parents would have said that it was at least 5 sizes too small.

I put down the eyeliner and scrutinized myself in the mirror. Damn, I looked good tonight. My hair was working with me for once, hanging down my back in loose, soft curls. I'd used a little more make up than usual, framing my eyes with a thick stroke of black eyeliner. Before I left the bathroom, I gave myself a little wink in the mirror.

Yes, I do those kinds of things. So sue me.

We were going to a bar instead of a club for once. I figured I needed to be able to talk to the men, and not just have them grinding up against me, if I were to find a fitting contestant. Emmett had a friend who owned a bar called Nerimon, and he had invited us to come there and get free drinks the entire night. I wasn't the kind of girl to say no to one free drink, let alone to as many as I could throw back for a night.

Rosalie and Emmett picked me up a couple of minutes later, and I couldn't help but to smile when I saw the two of them together. Rose usually didn't fall for a guy this quick, but I could easily tell that Emmett had gotten under her skin in just under a day. What can I tell you, the guy is smooth. Or maybe Rosalie was just getting soft, I'd have to talk to her about that later.

When I got down to the car, Emmett stepped out to open the door for me. I knew he was just doing it to impress Rosalie, but it was kind of cute.

Emmett's eyes widened when he saw me, "Good God, Bella. What the hell are you wearing? Or scratch that, what the hell are you _not_ wearing?"

I laughed, "Just a little something."

"Little being the keyword."

I wiggled my ass a little as I passed him, and he groaned, "Damn, I'm gonna have to beat the guys off you tonight, I just know it."

"Hey! There will be no beating my admirers. I need them for my project."

"You are one sick motherfucker, Bells. But I guess that's why I love you." Emmett chuckled, opening the door for me to climb in.

"Oh, blimey, you're making me blush, good sir." I said in a poor impression of a British accent, sliding into the car. Rose turned around in her seat to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi honey, you look amazing." she gushed, "Emmett just took me to this great restaurant down town, they had the best sushi I've ever eaten!"

I rolled my eyes, "Darn it, girl. You're already so whipped."

Just as she was about to object, Emmett got into the car, smiling hugely at us both. "How lucky am I, being out with the two hottest girls in town?"

Rose and I shared a look, and then I shook my head. "You're one lucky son of a bitch, Emmett. And you'll be even luckier if you get us to the bar some time soon, so I can start getting Rosalie drunk for you."

"Okay by me!" Rose sang. Emmett laughed appreciatively and started the car, heading towards the bar.

We got there about 15 minutes later, and Emmett went to find his friend while Rose and I grabbed a booth in the centre of the place. I'd already gotten one phone number from a guy when I'd gotten out of the car, but his hair was kind of weird and he didn't wear socks in his shoes, so I had thrown the note he had given me into a trashcan the first chance I got.

What? I was picky, and the guy I choose would have to compete against Edward in hotness, so there was no being nice tonight.

"Let's get cracking, then." Rose smiled, looking around at the people surrounding us. We had a good view from where we sat, and I could spot a few guys who at least looked good at a distance. I'd have to get a closer look at them later.

Emmett joined us then, he had three glasses of beer with him, which he handed to us before taking his seat.

"Okay, Bells. How do you wanna do this? Actively search, or let them come to you?" Rosalie asked me, wiggling her eyebrows. We'd done this little game quite a few times before, when one of us, or all of us, hadn't gotten laid in a while and needed something stat.

"We should do the hundred to start with, just as a warm up and see what we have to work with." I suggested. Emmett looked confused, so I guessed he hadn't heard of it. "It's a game, we sit here and then we decide how many out of a hundred guys that we would sleep with."

"Oh, like in Sex and the city?" Emmett asked, beaming.

"Way too freaky that you actually know what I'm talking about." I said, shaking my head.

"What can I say, a man can learn a lot from that show."

"I bet you can…" I tried not to laugh, but when Rose started I kind of couldn't hold it in. Emmett looked a little embarrassed, which only made the situation more fun.

"Okay, okay, let's do this." Rose took a sip of her beer to sober up. Or sober down, depending on which way you chose to look at it. "What about him?"

I looked to my right and saw who she meant. He was a tall, blonde haired man with a tad too much muscles for my taste. I wasn't really in to bodybuilders; I preferred lean, toned muscles.

"Uh huh, too Arnold."

"I see what you mean." she nodded, continuing her search.

"Wait, you girls don't like muscles?" Emmett looked surprised, and also a bit disappointed. I patted his shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile.

"Of course we do, but when they start looking like Mr. Bodybuilder 2010, it's kind of a turn off. You're safe though, don't worry."

"I'm not sure if that was meant as a compliment, but I'm gonna interpret it as one."

I'd forgotten how fun it was to tease Emmett, I really hoped he would come here more often and the way he was looking at Rose had me pretty certain that he would.

Taking another sip of my beer, I put my focus back into the game.

A dark haired man in a black suit with a little too much facial hair walked by, eyeing both me and Rose with interest.

"No." I said, scribbling down a no on the paper.

"Yes" Rose said at the same time, earning a glare from Emmett and a raised eyebrow from me.

"What?" she held her hands up, "I like a man with a little scruff. It tickles nicely."

I rolled my eyes, and then caught sight of man number 3.

Tanned skin, blue eyes, strong jaw line and well groomed hair. It would have worked if it hadn't been for his hobo outfit. Don't get me wrong, I like it when men dress casually, but this was just too much. His clothes looked kind of dirty, and that was not okay in my book.

"No." Rose and I said at the same time, putting down another mark under the "No" column.

Long, lean, great clothes, clear skin and nice smile walked by, and I would have put him in the "Yes" column if it hadn't been for the fact that he was sipping on an appletini and had manicured nails.

"Gay." we echoed again, making a mark. Emmett seemed to be confused, he reached up to look at the guy who was now standing by the bar, chatting with another man who was wearing skin tight jeans and a pink scarf.

"Damn, you girls are good." he laughed, gulping down the rest of his beer.

"What can I say, we've been around for a while. You pick up on the signs pretty fast if you know what to look for." Rosalie explained.

"Yeah, but we're nothing compared to Alice. She can just take one look at a guy from behind and know if he's straight or not. Her gaydar if off the hook." I was really impressed with Alice's ability, it had come in handy at many occasions.

The search went on, and in 25 minutes I had 46 'No' and ½ 'Yes' on my list. The half yes was because of a guy who had great hair that kind of reminded me of Edwards. I hadn't revealed that little detail to the others…

"32 'Yes' and 12 'No'." Rose declared, and then frowned when she saw my list. "Hey, you're making me look like I'm easy. What's up with the lack of yes over there? What about that guy with the leather jacket? He was totally your type."

I shook my head, "Too short."

"Short? Bella, he was at least one head taller than you. What do you want, a basket ball player? 'Cause then I think we're in the wrong place, we should hit that sports bar down the street instead." she went on, appearing dead set on finding me a man.

Have I mentioned how much I love Rose? She's so committed; she'd make a perfect girlfriend for me if I was into that.

"Here is fine, I just want a guy who's a bit taller."

Emmett let out a low whistle. "Wow, you're not picky at all. It's a mystery to me why you're still single when you're so open minded and shit."

I smacked his arm, a bit harder then necessary. "Hey, I'm not picky. He was too short, and I didn't like his… socks. Okay? Can we move on?"

I heard Rosalie sigh while Emmett grumbled about socks, but didn't pay them any attention. A 'Hell Yes' had just walked in to the bar, and was coming towards our table.

Bingo!

"Handsome, broad shoulders and wearing a designer suite coming up." I said in a low voice, smiling at Rose. She was a pro, so she didn't turn around to look like other girls might have. Instead she winked and started up a conversation with Emmett so that I was free to talk to the guy.

We made eye contact, and I gave him a smile that meant he could come over. The guy looked better and better the closer he got, and I drew in a sigh of relief. Finally a winner!

I brushed a stray hair from my face, and leaned my chin in my hand so that I could look up at him from under my lashes. I'd found that guys really liked that move, and for this man I was willing to go all out.

He stopped right by our table, and gave me a sexy smile.

Everything would have been perfect if he hadn't opened his mouth.

"Hey, gorgeous. I was just wondering if it hurt?"

"If what hurt?" I asked, sitting up straight.

He wiggled his eyebrows in a very un-sexy manner, "Well, when you fell down from heaven."

Rosalie practically spat her drink out over the entire table. Emmett quickly patted her back to help her from choking on her beer, though he couldn't help but to laugh the entire time.

Yeah, even Emmett recognized cheesy when it delivered a line like that in front of his face.

I looked at the guy, he seemed slightly taken aback by Rosalie's behavior, but still hopeful. I thought it best to put him out of his misery.

"You know what, pretty boy? Hearing that line hurt, or rather, it made me kind of nauseous." I gestured with my thumb towards the bar. "You can leave now, and take my advice. Never, ever say that stuff to a woman again, okay?"

He mumbled something I didn't catch and then took off, his face more red than my dress.

"Harsh, Bells." Emmett commented, though he looked impressed.

"Uh huh, not when it comes to sleazy pickup lines like that one. I believe in a firm hand when it comes to that kind of shit."

Rose agreed with a nod, "She's right. I would never have gone for that shit, no matter how hot the guy was."

"You thought he was hot?" Emmett's face was priceless. I rather hoped that Rose would take it easy on the guy. He was clearly in over his head.

She shrugged, "Sure. I guess he makes number 33."

I snickered as she scribbled down on the paper. Emmett had better step up his game if he wanted her, she was a mean single girl and she wouldn't change her ways until a guy actually put his feelings out there and asked to be exclusive.

Perhaps I should give Emmett a hint about that.

Then again, maybe not. That guy could figure it out.

"Bella, what about that guy by the bar? To the very right? He's been checking you out for a while now, I think you should go for it. He's at least a few inches taller than Edward."

I stared at her in panic. Fuck no, she did not just say that. What was she, a freaking mind reader?

Rosalie snickered while Emmett was jumping up and down, chanting "what? what? what?" and looking from me to Rose with a excited gleam in his wide eyes.

"Dear God, kill me now…" I mumbled.

"Oh, lighten up Bella. I know you too well to fall for this crap. You could simply have brought a picture of him and asked people to call if they knew someone who looked like him." she said, and Emmett seemed to get the picture now. "Or" she continued, "you could have just gone straight to the point and called Edward to ask if he wanted to fuck."

"You are so far off." I tried in vain, hoping to salvage some of my dignity.

"Honey, sometimes I think I know you better than you know yourself. You're not gonna find what you're looking for in this bar."

I stood up, narrowing my eyes at her. "Yes, I am. In fact, I see what I'm looking for right now, so if you'll excuse me."

Grabbing my bag from the table, I headed off to the bar where a good looking man was standing with a drink in his hand. It was one thing knowing what my deal was, but it was a wholly other thing to have it pointed out by someone else.

This guy I had been checking out actually made it onto my 'Yes' list. I just hoped he would stay there after I had the chance to talk to him.

_Please don't be a sleaze ball, please don't be a sleaze ball…_

"So." I said as I paused right beside him, smiling invitingly. "What's a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?"

The man beamed, and I think I could actually see all his teeth. Creepy.

"Howdy there, little Missis. What's a pretty gal like yourself drinking on this fine evening?"

_Oh god…_

I cleared my throat, laughing apologetically. "Erm, I just remembered I'm in AA. Sorry."

Turning around, I saw Rosalie and Emmett watching me. Damn, I couldn't give up yet. What about that guy Rose had seen? I made my way through the crowded bar, heading for the other side.

There he was! I checked him out from a distance, he looked a bit young but I noticed with relief that he was wearing clean clothes, had no appletini in his hand and didn't look like he was from Texas. At least he didn't have cowboy boots, but I'd just learned that not all men from Texas had.

One would think that they could at least were a sign around their necks to give a girl some warning.

"Hi." I smiled when I reached him, overdoing it a bit by winking at him. Hell, I was on a mission and the clock was ticking.

The man eyed me appreciatively, "Hi there." he said, and I exhaled in relief. No weird accent, and he hadn't tried for a tasteless fucking pickup line yet. "I'm Gordon."

I took his outstretched hand, "Bella." I used my most pleasant voice, laying it on thick for this one. "How about you buy me a drink, and we can get to know each other?"

To my surprise, Gordon blushed much the same way that the sleaze ball had done. He scratched his neck and laughed a little, looking nervous.

"I'm kind of not old enough to drink."

Ah, hell no!

I turned on my heel without another word, heading back to the table. Without sitting down, I motioned for them that we should go and then walked towards the exit.

"Giving up?" Emmett asked as he and Rose joined me outside.

"Yes." I stated, "I need to get out of here before I end up on a farm in Texas or in jail as a child molester. Don't ask." I added, just as Emmett was about to open his mouth. "I just want to go home and sulk."

"That's highly uncharacteristic of you, Bells. But whatever you need, we're here." I gave Rose a weak smile as Emmett unlocked the car, and then got in the back seat.

If it was the last thing I'd ever do, I would get back at Edward for this. It was all his fault that I couldn't find a man. Getting back at him would make me feel better, I reasoned.

But I couldn't shake that little voice in the back of my head that kept saying that getting on my back _for_ Edward would be more profitable.

Screw this, I thought. I have a date with my tequila bottle and Mr. Rabbit tonight.

oOoOoOo

Sunday morning. An empty bottle of cheap tequila on the table, a half eaten package of Oreo's on the floor and a broken Rabbit in the trashcan.

Oh, and a wet and sore Bella in the bathtub, experiencing a mix of head ache and stomach ache that was anything but pleasant. And also, add a bad case of carpel tunnel to the mix. Splendid.

I had passed out in the bathtub around 5 in the morning, after getting the idea in my head that I couldn't sleep in my bed because it still smelled like Edward.

The bathtub didn't smell. Or, well, it kind of smelled of tequila, but I was fine with that. Tequila was my friend. Tequila made shit better, but I was fucking disappointed that tequila hadn't been able to fix my broken hooha. Apparently, she would still only listen to the call of Edward's fun stick.

As I began to wake up, I heard a knock on my door.

"Go away…" I mumbled as I tried to pull myself up by using the shower curtain. I half fell out of the tub, and rubbed my eyes for a minute. Damn, it was way too much light in here. I should put them out and go back to sleep. That was a good idea.

Just as I was about to flip the light switch and crawl back into my resting place, figuring I could use the now broken shower curtain as a blanket, I heard the knock again.

"Fucking pricks, fucking waking me up and fucking with me. Fuck…" I kept grumbling as I stumbled towards the door, scratching my forehead. I used the walls to keep my balance since my floor had decided to be really freaking wobbly this morning, and stopped by the hallway mirror to glance at myself before I opened the door.

Oh, crap. I had make up under my eyes, a red mark on my cheek from sleeping on the shampoo bottle all night, and my hair was full of cookie crumbles. I was quite the sight, if I might say so myself.

The person behind the door knocked again.

"Alright, alright, I'm fucking coming." I half yelled, trying to pick some of the crumbles from my hair. Since I didn't want to toss them on the floor, I put them in my mouth instead.

What? I was still drunk, I was allowed to do that shit.

I was just reaching for the door when it struck me. Was I wearing clothes?

Looking down, I saw that I was indeed dressed in the same outfit as last night, only now, I had the red dress on backwards. How the hell did that happen?

I quickly grabbed my blue picnic blanket from the shelf, and draped it around me.

Just as I pressed the handle down, there was another knock.

I flung the door open, "What?" I spat, and then froze on the spot.

Fuck no, fuck no, no, no.

"Good morning, sunshine. You're looking… tasty. Is that Oreos in your hair?"

"Edward." I grumbled, cursing myself for not getting one of those holes in the door that smart people had. "What the hell are you doing here this early?"

He laughed, and I mentally picked up my baseball bat and beat down the fucking butterflies that were doing their happy dance in my stomach.

"First of all, it's 2:30 in the afternoon, so I would hardly say 'early'."

"Yeah? Well, I guess that depends on when you went to bed." I interrupted, pulling the blanket closer around me. "Get to the point, I have a date with my shower."

"Good to know." he smiled and nodded, making those butterflies do the samba. I picked up my mental gun this time and shot the motherfuckers.

"Any way," he continued, leaning to the side to glance into my apartment. "I hope I'm not interrupting something. I just wanted to come by and leave the blueprints for my place, Emmett mentioned that you had requested them."

My eyebrows hit the roof, "Emmett said that?"

_That nosy, backstabbing, piece of-_

"So what did you do last night? Party for one?" Edward asked, changing the subject. I groaned internally.

"I went to a bar, and then I went home and got drunk on tequila, ate cookies and killed a rabbit." I figured honesty was the best way to go. "Are we done?" I added, crossing my arms over my chest.

Edward held out a paper bag with several rolls sticking out. I reached for it, careful not to touch him. I was like a fucking drug addict, give me one little dose and I'll be all over that shit. Better to be careful.

"I guess so, if you don't want me to come in for coffee or tequila?" he still held on to the bag, and I tried to tug on it to make him let go.

"Sorry, no can do. The tequila is gone and the coffee machine and I are at war."

"Really? Do you want me to try and negotiate a truce?" he winked suggestively, and I almost gave in before I remembered everything that had happened. Hell to the no, he was not setting foot inside my door.

Client, yes. Friend, no.

"You know what, I'm kind of busy." I kept tugging on the bag, getting more and more annoyed by the second. "If you would just let go of the bag, I could get to work on these."

Edward laughed and ran the hand that wasn't holding on to my bag through his bronze hair. I shifted my stance, preparing to fight him off if he tried to sneak past me.

"You know what, I'd prefer if you didn't work on my apartment plans while you're hung over." he gave me a blinding smile, but didn't let go. "Who knows, you'd probably put the shower in the living room or something, and I'm not really into that new age, artsy kind of shit."

"Watch it, or I'll put the toilet in your kitchen." I snapped, and tried to jerk the bag from his hands. Damn, he was strong, I couldn't snatch it.

It didn't help my resistance that he kept looking at me with those hypnotising eyes, and that I could smell his intoxicating scent in the air. Wonder what type of shampoo he used…

"I could live with that." he snickered, and then his hand touched mine, probably deliberately. His finger reached out to stroke the back of my hand, and that was it. The end of my resistance.

I let go of the bag at the same time that he did and threw my arms around his neck as his hands snaked around my waist and held me against his chest. We tumbled backwards until his back was against the opposite wall of the hallway, and our mouths locked in a frenzy of eager tongues and hungry lips. I tugged on his hair to bring him closer to my face so that I could deepen the kiss even further, and he complied. Truth is he didn't have a choice. I was practically pulling his hair out by the time.

Our fevered kissing continued, and for once he seemed to be happy being the one pushed up against the wall. At least he didn't try to change position, which worked perfect for me. The blanket fell off my shoulders, and I should probably have thought something about the fact that I was standing in the middle of the hallway with my dress on backwards and my tongue down a man's throat in the middle of the day.

But I didn't. I was too busy kissing Edward Cullen and feeling every part of my body come to life. And I do mean, _every_ part. Hooha was back in the game.

His hands roamed my back, and his kisses became even more urgent as I pressed my hips to his, noticing with pleasure what my presence did to him.

A loud gasp suddenly broke through the bubble we were in. I snapped my head to the side and saw that my neighbour, old Mrs. Dermot, was standing outside her door, her hand over her heart and a shocked expression on her wrinkled face.

That little interruption was all it took for me to get my head straight and realize what the fuck it was that I was doing. I took a step back, bent down and picked up the bag from the floor. Edward's eyes followed me, and I could see that he was still breathing heavily, his mouth slightly open. He was so fucking gorgeous, it wasn't even funny. With his freaking sex hair, the buttons of his dark green shirt half way undone and that crooked, panty dropping smile on his lips, he looked better than any man should be allowed to look. It wasn't good for my sanity.

"Bella, what…" he began, but I kept stepping back until I was inside my apartment again.

"I-forgot-to-feed-my-cat-sorry-have-to-go" I rambled, then turned and slammed the door shut.

Leaning against the door, I pounded my fists on my head over and over. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…" I chanted, pissed off at myself.

_Yeah, way to get back at him Bella. He looked really crushed. _

Sighing, I pushed off the door and wobbled to my bathroom. Great, so now I wasn't just hung over, I was high on Edward Cullen too.

Peachy.

I peeled my dress off and tossed it on the bathroom floor, and then gathered the broken shower curtain in my arms and threw it to the side. Emmett could fix that later, he fucking owed me after this.

When I had gotten into the tub, I turned the hot water on and just lay there until it was filled all the way up. Then I took a deep breath and sank down so that my head was under the water and stayed there.

Until about 7 seconds later when I ran out of air.

When the water was getting cold and I was starting to look as wrinkled as Mrs. Dermot, I dragged my ass out of the tub and started searching for a towel. When I pulled the huge blue towel around me, I remembered that I had left the blanket out in the hallway.

Grumbling to myself, I tiptoed over to the front door, leaving a trail of water drops behind me. I opened the door slowly and glanced around, half expecting Edward to jump out at any minute.

He didn't though, and when I looked down I saw that the blanket lay folded right next to my door, a folded note on top.

I picked the blanket and the note up and closed the door, then threw the blanket onto the shelf and unfolded the paper with wet fingers.

_Always a pleasure meeting you, Miss Swan. See you tomorrow. _

_Edward. _

"Tomorrow…" mumbling to myself, I picked up my phone and pressed speed dial. It took a minute before he answered.

"What up, girl?" Emmett chirped, and I hated that he sounded sober. Emmett was never sober when I was hung over, there must be some weird glitch in the universe right now.

"You, fucktard, are coming over here in 15 minutes to fix my shower curtain. And bring bagels." I hung up the phone and walked to my bedroom, then fell onto the bed and began cursing men, tequila, Texas, blueprints and shower curtains.

God, I hated Sundays.

Especially since they were followed by Mondays…


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: S. Meyer owns Twilight.**

**Ouch.. What's up with the lack of reviews to the last chapter? Kind of hurt.. But anyway, I'm gonna keep posting for all my lovely readers who sticks with me through the good and the bad :) You guys are the best, and I love you!**

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**Chapter 9**

Monday morning, I woke up at 7 am sharp. I guess I'd already been half awake for a while, just floating in and out of my dreams about Edward. I couldn't say that I was happy that I'd woken up, since I was free to be as romantically gushy and clingy as I wanted in my dreams. Real life was a wholly other fucking thing.

A non-fucking thing, to be more precise.

After getting dressed and spending an extra 5 minutes in front of the mirror, only because I wanted to look good on my first day with a new client of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that my new client was Edward, I grabbed my bag and my keys from the table and took off. I stubbornly ignored the butterflies in my stomach that didn't seem to want to die no matter how many times I had preformed an execution during the last hour.

When I got to the office, everything was just as usual. Cammie, the receptionist, waved to me as I passed, and I successfully avoided Michael Newton on my way to my room. I had a few hours to finalize the plans I had prepared for Edward and then I would be heading over there around lunch time to show him what I'd come up with so far. I hoped he would like my ideas, and even more than that, I hoped that he would stay professional during the time we worked together. I knew I had screwed up at not mixing business with pleasure, but I still hoped we could function together without any of the emotional or, in my case, physical things messing up the project.

Working with Edward's apartment was like a dream come true. It was truly an amazing place, and there was so much to toy around with. I had enjoyed myself quite a bit with thinking and rethinking and planning the whole thing, while at the same time trying to not think about how I would have wanted to design the place if I were to live or spend time in his home.

_Don't even go there, Bella. _

Fuck no, I wouldn't go there. I was professional, damn right I was. So what if I had used my own favorite color for the living room walls? It was just a suggestion. And the fire place in the large bedroom was not in there because it was my childhood dream to have a fireplace, but because it fit the atmosphere of the room perfectly.

See? Strictly professional.

Maybe just a tad bit psychotic.

I was just starting to wonder where Esmee was at and why she hadn't come in to grill me about details of what happened at the party, when I remembered that she had a meeting down town that morning and wouldn't be in until later. I cursed a little; I had counted on having a little pep talk before I headed over to Edwards place. You know, a slap in the face and some kind words of warning and that sort of shit.

I realized then just who I could count on to give me a good slap in the face like I needed. I picked up my phone and sent a text message to Rosalie, praying that she would answer quickly.

_**Going to E's place in a couple of minutes. Any last advice?**_

A response came only minutes later, and I read it greedily, desperate for the support.

_**Wear a chastity belt and bring a cross. **_

I frowned, and swiftly typed a reply.

_**A cross? For what? He's no vampire, Rose. Though he does look a bit like that guy in the vampire flick Alice made us watch a while back…**_

She wrote back immediately, and I began to wonder if she ever got any work done at all when she was so quick to sent texts like this.

_**If he doesn't get scared off by it, you can always shove it up his ass if he tries anything. **_

I laughed whole heartedly, and could feel the tension disappear from my body.

_**You don't think Jesus would mind? It's highly sacrilegious.**_

A knock on the door startled me, and I put my phone to the side before I called out for my visitor to enter.

"Yes?" I tried to force the silly smile off my face. You could always count of Rosalie to make shit seem less severe than they were. I loved her dearly for that.

The door opened, and my stomach dropped as the first thing I saw was that familiar, messy, bronze hair. Then his face came into view.

"Hello Miss Swan." he said in his velvet voice, stepping into my office.

As usual, I had to concentrate on keeping my jaw from dropping when I saw him. Edward in a suite was quite the sight, even more gorgeous than Edward in his casual clothes, I decided. His hair was as wild as always, and his cheeks had that perfect 2 days stubble that I loved. I wanted to kiss him and feel that scratchy cheek against mine, and then I wanted to bury my hands in that fucking mess of a hair while his lips kissed down my stomach and…

Great, and now I was drooling.

I cleared my throat and straightened my white top, trying to dwell on the fact that I hadn't been able to fix my hair one more time before I saw him, "Good day, Mr. Cullen." I said, smiling.

"I thought I'd offer to take you out for lunch before we head over to my place, if that's alright with you?" he sounded really formal, but his eyes betrayed his charade. I knew when a man was checking me out, and Edward was most definitely doing that right now. He was talking to my breasts, so it wasn't all that hard to figure out.

I crossed my arms over my chest, and his eyes snapped up to mine. I gave him a knowing look, and he smiled crookedly back at me. "That's very nice of you, Mr. Cullen. Am I invited to, or did you just want these two?" I glanced down at my breasts and then raised an eyebrow at him.

"Always that smart mouth." Edward laughed, stepping forward until he was standing right in front of my desk, "Of course you're invited too, though I can't promise that I'll be able to concentrate on what you are saying when you're wearing that shirt."

It was my time to laugh, "Don't blame the shirt. You're just a creep, that's it." I leaned back in my chair, tapping my foot against the desk.

Bye, bye professionalism.

Edward didn't seem to mind my name calling though. In fact, he looked rather impressed, "A creep that is still waiting for an answer to his lunch proposal." he said, and then looked at his watch, "Clock is ticking and I'm getting… hungry."

Why the fuck did he have to look at me like that? I knew bloody well what kind of 'hungry' he was talking about when he gave me that smile and it wasn't anything that contained calories.

He put his hands on my desk and leaned forward, locking his eyes with mine. "What do you say?"

I was a little breathless as I squeezed out a "Yes.", and tried to get a grip over myself. Damn this man, no matter how much I want to refuse him, I just fucking can't.

"Great, I'll meet you by the exit." Edward straightened up, ran his hand through his messy hair and then turned and walked out of the office, giving me a nice view of his ass as he went.

Sighing to myself, I began to collect all the folders and color samples I had spread out all over my desk. I picked up my phone and saw that I had a new message from Rosalie, and read it while I put all the papers into my bag.

_**All is fair in love and war, dear friend. Or should I say, in sex and business? **_

Perfect, just perfect.

Edward was leaning casually against Cammie's desk when I entered the lobby. She was fluttering her eyelashes at him while he chatted, and I could clearly see the effect he had on her.

I used to really like Cammie, but suddenly, not so much.

"Ready?" I asked as I approached them, throwing Cammie a dirty look that she didn't notice. Of course she didn't, she was too busy ogling Edward.

"Certainly." Edward straightened up and smiled at me, then turned back to Cammie, "It was really nice meeting you. I'll see you around."

_He'll see her __**where?**_Oh damn, now I was fuming. Flirting with women right in front of me? Fucking prick, I wanted to kneel him in his beloved crotch.

"Goodbye, Mr. Cullen." Cammie smiled, looking completely dazzled. I prayed that I didn't have that face when I looked at him.

"Make sure that you call Mr. Travers about the contractures Cammie, and have Paul change the lamp in my office. I've told you to do that twice now." I didn't know where that came from, but I delivered it with a touch too much venom in my tone.

Cammie looked startled, she immediately picked up her phone, "Absolutely, Miss Swan. I'm so sorry."

I gave her a short nod and turned to Edward. He looked a bit surprised, but amusement was clearly the dominant expression. I rolled my eyes and began walking, knowing he would follow. We reached the elevator and I pushed the call button, then stepped back and waited while tapping my foot.

Nasty habit, I needed to quit that.

A low whistle alerted me of Edward's presence, and I snapped my head in his direction to see him grinning down on me.

"Don't say a fucking word or I'll tell Cammie you have herpes." I grumbled, looking away from him to glare at the elevator doors instead.

He chuckled, "I think someone woke up on the wrong side this morning. You know, I could sleep at your place tonight and make sure that you wake up on the right side tomorrow. It would be my pleasure to occupy half the bed for your benefit."

"No, I'm pretty sure that the problem is that I woke up at all." I sighed, refusing to buy into his shameless flirting, "Besides, as I recall it, you took up more than your fair share of the bed when you passed out at my place last week."

The elevator arrived before he could answer, and we got in next to a woman from the floor above ours. I greeted her and then went to stand behind her, next to Edward, as the doors closed.

I began tapping my foot again, avoiding looking at him though I could feel that he was watching me the entire time. Two floors down, the woman got out, leaving us all alone in the elevator.

_Holy fuck, I was in an elevator with Edward Cullen. _

My subconscious cheered me on, she was a kinky motherfucker who had always wanted to have sex in an elevator, and she seemed to encourage hoohah to join in the game.

_Press the stop button, undress and get it over with already! You know it is gonna happen eventually. _

I needed to slap myself around a bit, I wasn't even thinking this consciously. It was my freaky inner sex addict that was at the helmet right now. My brain had gotten off on the 9th floor, along with morals and good judgment.

I was alone, deserted by all my noble senses. You know that old saying, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter"? Yeah, they should put that sign outside the elevator, but change it to "Abandon hope, all ye who enter with Edward Cullen."

My fingers were tingling. No, scratch that, _everything_ was tingling.

Chewing on my lip, I glanced up at Edward. He seemed to be enjoying some kind of private joke, and he was leaning against the wall, watching me with a shiteating crooked smile on his god-like face.

"Everything okay there, Miss Swan?"

"Peachy. You?" I responded, searching desperately for professionalism but realizing that she wasn't even in the building anymore. To tell the truth, I had probably said goodbye to her when I had stuck my panties in Edward's pocket last week. She'd been a no show ever since, no matter what I had tried to tell myself.

Edward pushed off the wall so that he was standing closer to me, and like the addict I was, I inhaled deeply, letting his manly Edward scent fill my nostrils.

And I used to think that chocolate was my favorite scent in the world... Fuck that, Godiva didn't have shit on Edward, that's for sure.

"I'm getting hungrier by the minute." he murmured seductively, his lips close to my ear.

Caution and self-preservation abandoned the sinking ship, leaving the sex addict to fight for herself.

But who was I kidding? The lifeboats were gone by this time and she was ready to get wet.

"I have a banana in my pocket if you want it." I said, realizing that my old trusted friend sarcasm was still holding on to the railing, trying to fight off sex addict who was prying her fingers away one by one.

Edward's hand moved to cup my face, sending sparks through my overheated body. "I could think of another thing in your pants that I'd rather have…"

"My Blackberry? I always figured you for an Iphone guy." Sarcasm was holding on by her thumb and pinky, watching sex addict prepare to dive into the ocean.

"Hmm… Am I sensing a little restraint from you, Miss Swan?"

_A little? He had got to be kidding…_

His fingers traced my jaw line with soft movements, making me almost melt from the sensation he was creating. He began to take one step forward, so I took one back. When he stepped again, I continued, preventing him from coming closer. Eventually, I felt my back hitting the wall.

Damn, I was out of space.

_It's an elevator, Einstein. What did you expect?_

"If you feel something straining, it's probably in your own pants." Sarcasm, my last hope, was hanging by her pinky while sex addict stripped down to her skimpy bikini.

How long was this elevator ride, anyway? And why the fuck wasn't people getting on?

_Yes, _sex addict smirked, _why aren't people getting it on? _

"Just give in, Bella. It would be so much… easier. For both of us." his low, velvet voice sounded in my ear.

And there went sarcasm, beloved friend and trusted ally for over 20 years. She would be missed dearly.

The ship was abandoned, the white flagged raised by none other than hoohah herself, and sex addict dove in, head first.

I dropped my bag on the floor, grabbed hold of Edward's neck and pulled his head down to my eye level. His body was so close to mine that I could almost feel his heartbeats through his clothes, they were as erratic as mine at that point. I parted my lips, ready to invite him in, when a bell sounded, followed by the familiar female voice.

"First floor. Lobby."

The doors opened, revealing 3 baldheaded business men. They all stared at me and Edward with wide eyes, none of them getting a word out.

I untangled myself from Edward and bent down to pick up my bag. Then, with as much grace and dignity that I could muster, I straightened my skirt and stepped out of the elevator, Edward in tow.

"Gentlemen." I greeted them as I passed, ignoring their shocked expressions.

After a few steps, I heard Edward laugh quietly behind me and turned to look at him. He was obviously enjoying himself for some fucked up reason.

"What?" I snapped, only making his grin widen.

He shrugged, "Have you ever noticed that we seem to be under some kind of cockblock curse?"

I stared at him. And then started remembering…

_Outside the bar when Alice came, in the bathroom when Emmett barged in on us, in the lake, once again by Alice, and now again. _

"Damn." I said, frowning, "you're fucking right about that."

I kept walking straight through the foyer, resisting the urge to look back at Edward. I could feel him following close behind me.

Sex addict had climbed aboard the ship again, she was lying on deck, screaming at hoohah to take the flag down. She was wet, she was freezing and she was frustrated. I had to clench my fists to stop myself from dragging Edward with me into a broom closet there and then. I mean, being to close to those lips and then not getting any? Fucking torture for someone like me.

Once I was outside the office building I stopped and turned to Edward, "So, where are we going?"

"Marabelle." he answered. There was a wicked gleam in his eyes still, making it clear that he was just as sexually frustrated as I was after our interrupted elevator moment.

"You mean that new place on Madison and Third? Seriously? Isn't that some fancy ass, over the top, 10 dollars per breadstick restaurant?"

Edward laughed, "I think I can afford it."

Oh, right. I was in the company of the richest man in New York. How did I forget?

"Okay then, but I'm getting something super expensive to make up for you embarrassing me in front of those bald guys."

"Whatever you want, it is yours." he began leading the way to the garage next to my building, and I followed, staying at perfect distance so that I could glance at his ass while he walked.

Hey, it was a great ass. I would be foolish not to look at it.

I couldn't believe my eyes when he stopped beside a 2010 Silver Lexus and picked up his keys from his pocket. Damn, that was one fine car he had there.

"Seriously? _This_ is what you're driving?" I asked, wide eyed.

He rolled his eyes and went around to open the door for me. "Yes, Miss Swan. Now get in so that we can satiate some of that hunger, okay?"

I raised an eyebrow, "In a hurry?"

"I'm quite starved, actually."

Sex addict was back with a vengeance, getting ready to dive in again.

oOoOoOo

We drove for about 15 minutes in light traffic before Edward pulled up at the restaurant. He got out and opened the door for me in a very gentlemanly manner.

Would you look at that? He does know how to behave, even though he obviously prefers not to show it most days.

Just as I took his outstretched hand, in a very un-Bella-like manner, I heard an annoying, somewhat familiar voice.

"Edward!"

I stood straight and released Edward's hand just before a cloud of blonde hair attacked him, causing him to almost lose his balance.

Since I got half of said hair in my mouth, I knew first hand that it was fake extensions. It wasn't even the good stuff from Taj Mahal, and don't ask me how I could tell that.

Edward pushed the blonde girl off of him, and I could see that he made an effort to smile. "Tanya, I didn't expect to see you here."

Yes, of course. This was Blondie from the party the other night. The one he had gone home with.

Blondie laughed, and the sound made me want to gag. Seriously, I'm not making this shit up.

"Oh Eddie, it's wonderful to see you too!"

_Excuse me? When did he say that it was 'wonderful' to see her? _

I gritted my teeth, "So, Eddie, how do you know…" I paused, turning to the skank with a slightly condescending smile, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. Pamela, was it?"

She laughed, obviously not sensing my hostility. Edward did though, but he looked as if he was enjoying the show to much to say anything.

"I'm Tanya. I've known Eddie here for yeeeeears" she said, elongating the "e" like a moron. "He's best friends with my brother Jasper, so we're also really, really close."

"So where are you heading?" Edward said quickly, and I sensed that he didn't want Tanya to reveal just how close they actually were. Yeah, 'cause I couldn't guess from the way she spoke that they had fucked on more than one occasion.

The thought, combined with the sound and smell of the skank made all thoughts off eating fly out the window.

Great, and now she had ruined my lunch.

"I was just going to grab a bite to eat! I read in The Times that this place is to dieeee for!"

_Again with the fucking "E's"!_

Her eyes lit up suddenly, "Hey! Are you guys also here for lunch? We should totally eat together!"

_Uh huh, hell no!_

I took a step away from them, "You know what… I forgot an important paper in my office. I have to go get it."

Edward's looked stunned, he came after me but I held up my hands to stop him. "I'll meet you at your place to go over the plans in 2 hours. That should give you two enough time."

"Bella, no, don't leave." he said, and I thought I could detect a trace of panic in his voice. Did that mean he didn't want to be left alone with the skank? I would have thought he'd enjoy her company since he'd chosen to leave with her after the party.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what they had been doing that night.

"I'll see you later." I turned and walked out of the parking lot towards the street, getting ready to hail a cab so that I could go back to the office and try to keep from thinking of Edward and that girl… together… naked… touching…

"Stop it, Bella. You need to get a grip." I told myself. Wow, I was talking out loud to myself.

This was getting serious.

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_I'm really working on getting better at replying to reviews. I figure that since you take the time to write them, I owe you to take the time to respond. It's all for your sake that I'm posting, after all. Kind of hard right now though since I don't have internet access where I live, but I'm gonna do my best :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I sure loved writing it!_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: S. Meyer owns Twilight.**

**Here's a long one for you :) I'm really excited about this story right now, which probably shows since I update so often :) I'm working on my other stories too, don't worry! I plan to post atleast one new chapter per story before Christmas. (yes, that includes Inconvienient Switch that has been on hiatus since august...) **

**Hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter 10**

One and a half hour later, and a sip from the emergency bottle of tequila I kept hidden in a desk drawer, I called Alice for some pep talk.

"Hello?" she answered on the first ring, sounding as cheerful as ever.

"It's me. I need support."

"What is it honey?" her voice immediately grew concerned.

I sighed and banged my head on the desk before answering. "It's you know who. He's driving me crazy, Alice."

"Ah, I see. What has your man-crush been up to now?"

"Man-crush? Is that even a word?" I bet she could hear my eyes rolling at this point.

Alice laughed, "Yes, of course it is. I just made it up, therefore, it's a word! It's like a normal crush, only it's on a man instead of a boy and you're a woman and not a little girl."

"Then why isn't it just a normal crush?"

"Bella, when have you _ever_ been normal?" she deadpanned, and now I was the one who heard eyes rolling.

"I'm gonna try and see that as a compliment."

"That's the spirit! Stay positive!" she cheered.

I so wanted to hit something right now.

"Can we get back to the point?" I prodded, looking at my clock and seeing the minutes tick away freakishly fast. I was beginning to wonder if someone had been messing with my clock, or if it was just the tequila kicking in.

"Sure, sweetie. Now, answer me this one thing."

"Yes?"

"Just one little question, that's all it takes."

"Yes, Alice?"

"If you just give an honest answer, we can solve this right here and now."

"For fuck sake Ali, spit it out or I'll-"

"Okay, okay!" she interrupted, "the question is; what do you _want_ to do?"

Oh. Good one.

I cleared my throat while tapping my foot faster and faster against my desk, trying to push the images of what I _wanted_ out of my head. It's kind of hard to think with a naked Edward clouding your thoughts. Try it, I dare you.

"Shit, Alice. Why must you always ask these questions? It's no fair." I grumbled, and then started chewing on my nails.

And there went that 100 dollar manicure. Fuckingtastic, Bella.

"It's not rocket science. I think you're making this a bigger deal than it actually is." she went on, and I could tell that she was in I'm-going-to-nag-you-until-you-see-my-point mood.

"Ali, please. Don't start with-" I began, but she cut me off again.

"I'm going to lay it out for you, so just listen." I could practically see her holding her hands up to silence me, all the while glaring at me with her evil-stare, which she only used on special occasions. "Girl meets boy, girl fucks boy, girl finds out that boy is her client and that she should stay professional, boy wants to get into girl's pants, girl wants to get into boy's pants, both are idiots and the most stubborn people I've ever fucking met."

I flinched slightly, "Ouch, Ali. No sugarcoating it, huh?"

"No. There's been enough of that and you know it. Maybe you should just get it over with and then maybe you can move on." she sounded like a stern professor, and for one former high school troublemaker, she kind of scared the shit out of me.

"Easier said then done." I mumbled. I was pretty fucking sure that there was no moving on after having had sex with Edward Cullen. Twice.

She sighed, "Then don't move on! Get to know the guy and see if he's really worth spending your time on, and if he's not… Well, then, good riddance!"

I looked at the clock and saw that I had only 20 minutes before I needed to be at Edward's place. Since I wanted to take a quick look in the mirror before I went, I realized that I was in a fucking hurry.

"Ali, thanks for the advice."

"But you're not gonna take it, are you?"

I ignored her question since I wasn't sure myself what I was gonna do. "I'll call you tonight, and then I want to hear about your date from this weekend, okay?"

"Oh, Bella! Jasper is amazing, he's got this wicked body and his hair is just to die for! Not to mention that he's a really-"

Now it was my turn to interrupt, "Ali, I really need to run. I'm sorry hun, but we'll talk later!"

"Okay, sorry, I just get to carried away when I think of him." she laughed, and I couldn't help but to smile at the sound. She was so taken with this guy, already. Typical Alice. She falls fast and she falls hard. Luckily she also recovers quickly. It just takes one Cosmoreos night, and then she's out there again, looking for the next guy.

"I get it, believe me."

"Hey, maybe Rose and I can come over tonight instead?" Alice asked, and I immediately liked the idea. A night with my girls was just what I needed.

"Sounds perfect, Ali. I'll see you later."

"Bye sweetie." she chirped, and then we hung up.

oOoOoOo

25 minutes later, I was outside Edward's apartment. It might have taken me an extra 3 minutes or so to get my hair right, but I was almost on time.

Plus, my hair looked amazing. So there you go, totally justified.

I rang the doorbell and waited, staring menacingly at my foot so that it wouldn't start tapping again. That thing had a life of its own, I tell you.

It only took 16 seconds for him to open the door. I know that, because I counted. A strange, unfamiliar feeling was spreading through my body. Kind of like how I felt when I couldn't find my tequila bottle or when I thought I had missed an episode of Dancing with the stars.

Wait a fucking second… Was I nervous?

"Hello again." Edward greeted me in the doorway. He was still wearing his suite, and the sight of him made my heartbeats pick up, something I only thought happened in cheesy romance novels.

"Hello Edward."

I wanted to purr his name, but that would be a tad dramatic, wouldn't it? Edwarrrrrrd… Mmm, sexy…

Clearing my throat, I took a step into the apartment and began to take off my jacket. "I trust you had a pleasant lunch?"

He shrugged and helped me with the jacket. My eyes closed as his fingers accidentally, or probably not accidentally, graced the skin at my neck for the shortest second. Then I shook my head slightly, intent on not falling into an Edward-coma at that precise moment.

_That wouldn't be professional! _Morals whined while good judgment nodded in agreement. I was pleased that my noble senses had returned since I would probably need them during the following hours. But when Edward looked at me from under his long, dark lashes, making my entire body ache with desire, I realized that sex addict and hoohah had accompanied me as well. They stood in one corner of the boxing ring, making fist punches as they waited for brain to surrender and ring the bell for the fight to begin. Good judgment was giving morals a pep talk while handing her the teeth guard, and hoohah was fastening sex addict boxing gloves with a wide grin. She was sure this would be a slam-dunk, and sadly, brain agreed with her.

Edward gestured for me to go first, "After you, Miss Swan."

"Thank you." I walked through the foyer, which was very grand, and into the vacant living room. The entire wall to my right was made out of glass, and the view from up there was spectacular. I could practically see every inch of New York. In the far right corner was a grand staircase, artfully crafted out of beautiful white marble. The wall straight across from where I was standing had 3 standard sized windows, and to the very left were the doors that lead out onto the large balcony, visible through the windows. I imagined spending my evenings out there, cuddled up next to Edward under a blanket with a cup of tea in my hand, watching the sunset and…

What the hell, now I was fantasizing again. And about tea? I didn't even drink tea! If I had been in charge of that fantasy, there would have been tequila in that cup.

Clearly, heart was messing with me now. Of course she would have joined the game sooner of later. I could see her standing in the middle of the boxing ring, trying to make peace while brain sighed and shook her head.

"So what made you buy this apartment?" I asked, trying to make small talk so that I could focus on something other than the crazy sexual attraction between us. It felt like a magnet, and I was pretty sure, judging by the looks Edward was giving me, that he experienced the same feeling.

"Well, it's spacious, I have two floors all to myself, it's a perfect location and, in the words of my realtor, it has the best view in New York city."

"You don't miss having neighbors?"

He chuckled, "I don't like neighbors."

"In general?"

Shrugging, he walked ahead of me to the balcony doors and opened them. "I find that they often are opposed to late night activities."

I rolled my eyes, "Speaking as a true bachelor."

And now we were beginning to leave professionalism behind. Well, what was left of it anyway, which wasn't much at all. I figured that I had earned a few points back when I closed two buttons on my shirt, but those points were quickly slipping away as we entered into this all too familiar territory.

"The most eligible bachelor in New York."

I thought I heard a note of sarcasm in his voice, but I couldn't be sure.

I followed him out onto the balcony. It was pretty windy but not cold at all, and I excitedly took in the sight of the pulsing city below, trying to make out shapes of the people crowding the street but noticing that I was way too high up for that.

Edward was leaning against the railing much the same way as I was, and I quickly realized that it was much more rewarding to stare at him instead of the tiny pedestrians. His gaze was fixed on something in the distance, and I didn't know if he was really looking at something or if he was lost in thoughts, kind of like I was when I was looking at him.

Creepy Bella moment.

"Do you like it here? Up in your sky castle?" I asked, still looking at him. It was kind of hard to stop once you had started, believe me.

He smiled slightly, not shifting his gaze from whatever he was staring at. "Yes. It's an amazing feeling to have the whole city at your feet."

I was just about to put in a snarky comment when he turned to me with a crooked smile on his face. This time when he advanced, I didn't step back. I waited until he was standing straight in front of me, only inches away.

"Besides," he whispered, mesmerizing me with his stunning green eyes, "I like to be on top."

_Total womanizer alert…_

He leaned in closer, and I reached up to meet him. Brain rang the bell and heart sprinted out of the ring as sex addict pounced on morals, quickly knocking her unconscious.

My lips touched his while brain counted to ten, but morals didn't get up again. She was out cold, and now hoohah joined sex addict in a frantic victory dance. Heart stood in the corner, shaking her head in surrender.

Edward kissed me deeply, and somehow, the kiss felt different from others we shared. I couldn't make out what it was, but the way his hands caressed my face and how his lips moved against mine was not like the other times. It felt more intimate, not like the introduction to foreplay, but as if the kiss itself was the main part. I kissed him back, and was getting lost in the sensation just as he suddenly broke the kiss and stepped back, looking apologetic as he ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Bella, this is my friend Jasper."

I frowned at him, confused. "What are you talking about? Have you named your dick Jasper?" I glanced down at his crotch, "That's original. I mostly hear Krull the warrior king or Bruce Allmighty, but I guess Jasper has a ring to it."

A loud laugh coming from behind me had me spinning on my heal to face the doors, and I came face to face with a gorgeous, tall, blonde man looking to be in his early thirties.

"Hi there. I take it that you are the famous Bella Swan that I have heard so much about?" the man said, and I could see Edward gesturing wildly in my peripheral vision.

I turned to Edward, raising one eyebrow, "Famous, huh?"

"Jasper is good at exaggerating." Edward shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed. Wow, that was a highly uncharacteristic look for him.

"Of course he is." I laughed, secretly pleased that he had talked about me with his friend. "So what has Edward been saying about me? Not all lies, I hope." I said to Jasper, who smiled deviously at Edward.

"I think I pretty much know everything there is to know by now."

"Ah, but you see, there is so much that not even Edward here knows." I extended a hand to shake Jaspers, and I thought I heard Edward say "yet…" in a low voice. I couldn't be sure though, and when I looked back at him his expression revealed nothing.

"So, Bella, what are your plans for Edward's apartment? I heard something about a shower in the living room?" Jasper asked as we walked back inside. Edward stayed one step behind, and I thought he was being a bit careful now that his friend was here and was threatening to expose just what Edward was saying about me. Jasper seemed like the type of guy who would love to mess with Edward like that, just for the fun of it.

I liked him already.

"I had to rethink that idea, actually. The plumbers didn't think it was a good choice." I looked back and winked at Edward, and he smiled his crooked smile at me, causing me to almost stumble over my own feet.

I showed Edward the plans I had drawn up for his place, and we discussed the different color schemes I had suggested. After going through the samples I'd brought, we decided on the one that was secretly my favorite. I did a little mental happy dance at that. Jasper looked impressed over what I had come up with, and luckily so did Edward. He didn't really have any objections, so after going through everything he told me that he liked it all and that I was free to move ahead with the development.

We spent a few minutes making small talk after that, and all the while Edward chose to stay out of the conversation. I didn't know why but he seemed to be contemplating something, he had a speculate look on his face the entire time.

When Jaspers phone rang and he excused himself to answer, leaving me and Edward alone upstairs in the room that was supposed to be turned into the bedroom, I decided to try and figure out what it was he was thinking about.

He was pacing around the empty space, humming quietly to himself. I didn't recognize the tune, but it sounded really beautiful in his soft, velvet voice. Of course the man could sing, what had I expected? I already knew he played the piano, since one of the requests on the documents I had been given stated that there needed to be made room for a piano in the apartment. My fucked up brain had immediately conjured up visions of me cuddled up on a huge, red sofa while Edward sat by the piano and played a song he had written just for me. The moonlight would shine in through the windows, and he would have eyes for nothing but me as we sat there, together, communicating with our eyes what we couldn't say in words. He would play the most beautiful music, only for me…

Sex addict jumped up from her bench and gave brain a well earned slap in the face.

"Edward?" I asked softly, walking over to where he was now standing across the room. He turned to look at me, and there was an uncertainty in his eyes that I had not seen before. "Are you alright?"

He sighed, closing his eyes for a second before opening them again. When he met my gaze this time, his eyes were different. The uncertainty was gone, replaced by what looked like fierce determination. I took a step back, suddenly scared of what he would say.

"I need to tell you something, Bella." he said, his voice serious.

I stepped back again, swallowing hard before forcing words out. "Please don't." I whispered, because I now knew what he was going to say.

Brain, morals, good judgment, sex addict and hoohah all watched as heart backed into a corner, hiding her face and starting to shake.

Edward looked slightly taken aback, "Why?" he asked, taking a step towards me. I matched it again and stepped back, holding my hands up to shield me.

"Please don't." I said again, my voice trembling.

"Bella," his hands reached to capture mine, and then he pulled me to him. "I want you, and it's in a way I haven't felt before, not with anyone. I can't stop thinking about you, and I want to be with you all the time, it's like I'm addicted to you. I can't explain it because I don't recognize it. It's new to me, and I want you to know how I feel. It's not just sex or desire, it's _you_. You are what I want."

Everyone was lined up in defensive positions in front of heart who was still crouching in the corner, terrified. I remembered words that I had thought were long forgotten, but that came back to me now.

_I want you, and I promise that I will never hurt you, Bella._

Those had been _his_ words, when we had first started going out together. He was probably already sleeping with Lauren at that time, but I had known nothing about that. I had trusted him, and I had fallen in love. Hard. And unlike Alice, I wasn't the girl who fell and then picked myself up two seconds later. Believe me, I wish I had that strength, but I didn't. I fell, and then I got scarred too deep to ever trust again.

Edward was still holding my hands in his, and when I tugged on them he let go quickly. I could feel the panic begin to build, and I suddenly felt claustrophobic. I needed to get out, now.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered and saw his face fall. I began to back away, and the hurt in his eyes became more and more prominent with each step I took.

So I turned and ran out of there, leaving Edward behind.

oOoOoOo

Hours later, I was still pacing along the streets with no idea about where I was heading. My mind was at total chaos, I couldn't even begin to make sense of the mess up there. Apparently, brain had checked into rehab along with heart.

Why did he have to say those words? Why couldn't we have just continued the way we were, and avoided this? Feelings just fucked things up. I knew that better than anyone. And now he was feeling something for me? How was it possible that I had broken through his shell in such a short time? I knew exactly what kind of man he was, and he was supposed to be impenetrable, unreachable.

But now he was proclaiming that he wanted me as something _more?_

Too much, too confusing and too risky. This had heartbreak written all over it.

He had already called 5 times, but of course I hadn't picked up. What was I supposed to say to him, anyway? That his words scared the shit out of me and that I didn't trust him simply because he was a man? Yeah, that would be a hit.

My phone buzzed again and I glanced at the screen. It was Alice who was calling this time, and I decided that I'd just as well pick up. She'd keep calling until she got hold of me, I knew that for a fact.

"Hi Alice." I said, walking slowly and glancing into the store windows I passed. I contemplated spending a bunch of money to get my mind of things, but I didn't really believe that a new dress or an expensive pair of shoes could make me feel better.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked immediately. I wasn't surprised that she knew something was up, she had probably known even before she called. Alice was freaky like that.

I hung my head, shuffling my feet as I walked, "Same old, same old. Rich, gorgeous men telling me that they can't stop thinking about me and shit. You know, the usual." I tried to make light of the subject, but it was a lost cause.

"He finally admitted it?"

_Wait, what?_

"What do you mean, 'finally'?" I prompted, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and earning a few sour looks from my fellow pedestrians. "Alice, what are you talking about?"

She hesitated a bit before answering, "You know the guy I was out with the other night? Jasper?"

"Jasper? As in Edward's friend, Jasper?" I gaped. How the fuck could I have missed that? The name wasn't that common, and still I hadn't made the connection. Probably because I had been too preoccupied with thinking about Edward... God damn, how stupid could I be?

"Yeah," Alice said, and I could tell that she was stalling.

"Out with it." I demanded. I wasn't in the mood to play guessing games with her.

"I didn't know he knew Edward when I agreed to go out with him after we met at the gym, but then he mentioned Edward's name while we were having dinner, and I asked his last name and… Well, turned out it was your Edward."

"He's not my Edward." I grumbled, kicking an abandoned coffee cup out of my way. I didn't know if I liked where this was going.

Alice sighed, "Okay, I'm sorry. It turned out that the guy he was talking about was Edward Cullen and by the time I realized that, Jasper had already told me plenty about him."

So my hunch had been correct; Jasper was the type of guy to share stories about his friend's inner thoughts. And not just to me, but to girls he went on dates with. Good to know.

"What did he say about him?" I paused outside a second hand store, staring aimlessly on the items in the window. Did I need a sewing machine? Or an ancient VHS player? Probably not, I decided.

"He said that his friend had finally met a girl who could take him on, and that he was fairly certain that he was falling in love with that girl."

And there it was. The L word. Feared, dreaded, earth shattering, filled with promises of disaster and angst. All in four seemingly innocent letters. It was when you put those letters together and placed them in a sentence that things got ugly.

I mean, what couple had ever loved and then lived happily ever after? Romeo and Juliet both died due to stupidity and bad timing, Rose lost Jack because she would make room for him on that wooden thingy, Noah had to spend day after day trying to make Ali fall in love with him again and risk her throwing a fit the entire time, Will and Elizabeth only gets to see each other once every ten years and I'm pretty fucking sure she hooks up with Captain Jack Sparrow while he's away.

Loving someone was just waste of time, obviously. Or at least in Hollywood, but everyone knows all movies are based on true stories.

"Alice," I began while dragging my feet forward, "I don't want this, I don't just…" I paused, not sure what I really felt. When I turned my head to the left, I saw that I had stopped in front of a pet store, and in a little basket in the window was my salvation. It was white, fluffy, pink nosed, big eyed and perfect.

A teeny, tiny little kitten, looking at me with sweet, dark eyes.

"Bella? Are you still there?" Alice voice reminded me that I had been saying something. I didn't take my eyes off the kitten, and it never looked away from me either. So freaking cute, I just wanted to hug him and bury my nose in that soft fur.

"I'm here, but I have to go Alice. Something just came up, I'll call you back in a few minutes." I said and hung up, striding purposefully into the shop.

I had used my 'have to feed the cat' excuse for as long as I could remember, so why not actually have a cat to feed? I needed someone who would keep me company, and what would be better than a cat?

Men were overrated. I decided that the cat was the new boyfriend, except without all the drama and dirty socks lying around.

oOoOoOo

Later that night, Alice and Rose sat on my living room floor, gushing over the tiny little fur boll that was wobbling around, sniffing and examining every inch of my apartment. Turned out that it was a she, which was perfect. I didn't really need another man in my life after all.

I'd named the little thing Nugget, and the reason behind it had had Rose and Alice howling with laughter for a long time after I told them. After I had bought Nugget and all other things I thought necessary, which was pretty much everything in the entire store, I realized that I was starving and needed to eat. I arranged for the things to be delivered to my apartment, and left the store with Nugget in a blue carrier thingy I had also purchased. The first thing I saw when I got out on the street again was the golden archers of a McDonalds, so I went there and got take out, all the while petting and cooing at my little kitten. When I arrived home I ate my chicken nuggets and fries while watching the little fur thing tread carefully around my kitchen. She was just about to climb into my wastebasket, or more likely tipping it over herself, and I called out "nugget" in pure reflex to stop her.

What can I say? The name stuck.

"You're so random, Bella." Alice was swinging one of the toys I'd bought for Nugget, making the cat run back and forth in a feeble attempt to catch the little fake mouse. "I mean, when most girls have guy problem, they either get new clothes or a manicure or something. But you go out and buy a cat? You're way weirder than I've given you credit for." she laughed, scooping up Nugget in her arms.

"I know, I know. But I couldn't resist her, it was impossible."

Rose reached out and took Nugget from Alice, and I could tell that those two would probably be spending more time here than usual. She tickled the cat behind her ear, shaking her head in amusement.

"She's adorable, for sure." Rose said, putting the cat down. Her paws barely touched the floor before Alice picked her up again.

"But…" Rose continued, frowning, "What are you gonna do about the Edward situation? I mean, Nugget is wonderful, but she won't solve your problems."

Sighing heavily, I got up from the couch to go to the kitchen and refill my wine glass. "I don't know what I've gotten myself into, Rose." I said, loud enough for her to hear from the other room, "I can't even think straight when he's around. It's insane, and quite frankly it scares the hell out of me." I shook my head in exasperation while pouring the wine. When I got back, both of them were looking at me with sympathetic eyes.

I sat down again took a deep breath, trying to find someway to put in plain words what Edward's presence did to me, and how he made me feel.

"It's like, he's the man I've always dreamt about, you know? He's gorgeous, charming, he's not intimidated by my smart mouth and he does things to me that… I can't explain it, it's like we're connected on some weird intense level. And when he touches me…" I trailed off, trying not to get lost in the memories, "I want him. Not just as in that I want to have sex with him, but I want… something more, and it frightens me."

They knew of my past with Jacob, Alice had been there the day I found out that he had been cheating on me, and she was the one who called Rose and told her to come over and bring the booze.

And therefore, they both also knew about my trust issues.

"Bella, I think that you already know what you have to do." Alice said, stroking Nugget's back gently. She was sitting on the soft carpet with her legs crossed, looking up at me with a kind expression on her face that told me that she only meant well. "Can you honestly tell me that you would be okay with not seeing him again?"

My stomach churned as I imagined never feeling the way I did when he touched me. I immediately pushed that thought away.

"No. I wouldn't be okay with that, and I hate that. I hate that the one man who has been able to get under my skin is just as big of a control freak as I am! I hate that he's probably the last person I should ever trust. I hate that when I'm with him, I feel like nothing could ever hurt me, because the rest of the world stops existing. I hate that I love bickering with him, and that he enjoys it too because it's _us. _Already, it's _our_ thing. And that's the other part that scares me, that I feel this way after such short time. But every time we meet, it's so intense, the passion is beyond anything I've ever imagined I could have with someone." I stopped for air, and tried to ignore the stupid tears that were threatening to spill over.

Bella Swan doesn't cry, especially not over men.

"But, honey, has he given you any reason for you _not _to trust him? I know that's the last thing you want to hear, but I need to say it anyway." Rose put in, leaving her spot next to Alice on the floor to join me on the couch.

I was about to protest, but she held up her hands to stop me, "You don't really know him, Bella. You can't just assume that he's an ass that will end up doing the same thing that that shithead Jacob did. I'm telling you this as your friend, okay? You should give him a chance."

My head was spinning, images of Edward and I clouded my mind. _Edward and I walking down the street together, hand in hand. Edward and I sitting together at my breakfast table, Edward sleeping in my bed, his arms around me. _

Did I want that? _Could_ I have that?

"I'm not saying you should marry the guy and have kids, but I'm saying that you should give him a chance to show what kind of man he is. Instead of sneaking around all the time, go out on a date! Take a walk or go for coffee or anything, just _try,_ Bella." Rose said, giving me a reassuring smile.

I thought about it, and tried to ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach, the fear of allowing Edward to get closer than he already was. If you let people get close, you risk getting hurt when they eventually show their real selves.

And I knew that if Edward turned out to be just what I feared he was, it would be so much worse than if it had been anyone else.

"I don't know, Rose. What if he won't want it when he can actually have it? What if it's just the fact that I resist him that makes him curious? If I give in, he might decide that he's not interested anymore and simply leave." I was feeling uncharacteristically insecure, and I didn't like it at all.

Brain was tugging on heart's hand, trying to get her to get up from her hiding place under the table.

"Bella," Alice said, "any man who looks at a girl the way Edward looks at you, won't ever say no to something more."

Rose nodded in agreement. I groaned and fell back on the couch, grabbing a pillow and burying my face in it.

I was so fucked.

oOoOoOo

The next day I woke up with Nugget sleeping peacefully on the pillow next to my face, and as I moved I realized I had a well deserved headache. It wasn't surprising since I had finished the bottle of wine after the girls had left, and since I hadn't really eaten during the entire day except for some nuggets and fries.

Thanks to Blondie, I remembered. That bitch had stolen both my lunch and my date, so she was really to blame for the headache, I reasoned. And in my newly awoken state, it made total sense.

At least I had come to a decision during the night. I had thought and rethought, and finally realized what I had to do.

I would continue working on Edward's apartment, because there was no way I was pulling out from that. My promotion depended on that job, so I would see it through to the end. There wasn't much more face to face contact with the client required by this stage, so I would be alright. We had got plenty of work done when I had been to his apartment yesterday, and I had left him my sketches so if he would come up with any questions or complaints he could simply call. From now on my job involved getting hold of the contractures and calling manufacturers, as well as supervising the whole thing. Since Edward still lived in his current apartment, he wouldn't be hanging around the construction site.

Okay, so maybe I was fooling myself a bit. I would need to consult with him on a regular basis, but there was no reason for why that conversation couldn't be over the phone.

_Yeah_, sex addict sneered, rolling her eyes at me, _'cause there isn't a little thing called 'phone sex' that you two will most definitely end up having._

She never gave me any credit, that one.

I got dressed and gulped down a huge glass of water, then gave Nugget her food and played with her for a while. Alice would come over in a little while to look after her until I got back at lunch. I was lucky that both my friends could arrange their work schedules pretty much however they wanted, and that they also had eagerly agreed to help watch my little Nugget in the beginning when she was still so young.

I picked up my bag and headed for the door, but just as I was about to open it, someone knocked.

Once again, why the hell didn't I have one of those peephole thingies? I stood frozen with my hand outstretched, afraid to open and find out that I had another surprise visit from Edward. He seemed to have developed a habit of showing up when I least expected it.

"Hellsbells, are you dead or passed out in there? Better not be dead, you still owe me 12 bucks since that time you dared me to eat that green, slimy-"

I flung the door open and threw myself into Emmett's arms, hugging him fiercely. He was just what I needed; a living proof that not all men were scum and not to be trusted. Emmett was enough reason to start believing that there was hope to be found in the male species.

"Wooa, hi to you too, Bells. Had I known you would throw yourself at me like this, I would have come shirtless." Emmett laughed as he hugged me back. As usual, he didn't realize his own strength so I ended up gasping for air within seconds.

"Need…air…" I croaked, struggling to get free.

He let go of me and reached to tousle my just styled hair with one of his big paws, chuckling in his classic Emmett way.

"You're so tiny, Bells. I forget that I can't hug you the normal way."

"If that's how you hug other people, I'm surprised you have any friends who aren't in wheelchairs with their spines and ribs broken." I pushed his hand away and tried to smooth my hair back down. Typical guy move, they had no idea the time and effort that went in to making a girl's hair look good in the morning. Emmett probably just got out of bed, had a mayo sandwich and wiped the excess mayo off on his head.

"Now that you mention it, a few have actually complained about sore ribs from time to time." he mused, then grinned widely at me. "I guess I'm just _that_ strong."

"Yeah, yeah, you're nothing but a bit pile of muscles and abs." I rolled my eyes, "But anyway, what the fuck are you doing here this early? Shouldn't you be sleeping for at least…" I looked down on my watch, "four or five more hours?"

"Yeah, but I went to bed early yesterday." he said, looking pleased with himself.

I made a cross over my torso and pretended to gasp in shock, "Who are you and what have you done to Emmett? The Emmett I know never sleeps before 4 am, and he definitely isn't awake and dressed at 9 in the morning."

"I'm meeting Rosalie for breakfast at a place down the street." he beamed. I guessed it was the combination of seeing Rose and not having to fix breakfast for himself, because he looked really excited.

"Oh, so that's what it takes to get you up in the morning? And your poor mother who though that bribing you with action figures would do the trick." I stepped back inside and grabbed my keys from the table, then joined Emmett in the hallway, locking the door behind me.

"Yeah, I feel bad about that." he grinned as we started down the hall. "So, what's new with you? Have you bagged Edward Cullen yet?"

"No. There will be no bagging, and don't make me explain why."

He let out a low whistle, "Wow, do I sense a little girlish thinking from you? That's fucking unexpected; I thought that under all that hair, there actually was a man."

"And I thought that behind all those burly muscles, you were a 7 year old girl."

"Uh, snappy comeback!" Emmett chuckled.

I elbowed him in the ribs, probably hurting myself more then him. "You haven't seen snappy yet, punk."

We kept chatting as we walked out the building, and I was really glad that he had showed up. Emmett was perfect when I needed to keep things off my mind, he made it so easy to forget the heavy shit and just be.

"I'm heading this way." Emmett gestured in the opposite direction to where I was going, "It was good seeing you, Bells. I have a few job interviews this week, but maybe we can do something this weekend?"

"Job interviews?" I beamed, "Does that mean you're staying in New York?"

He winked and started walking backwards, "You didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily, did you?" he waved and turned around, heading down town.

Well, at least I had one man who I could actually trust here in New York., except for my hairdresser and my gynecologist of course.

It would probably become clear very soon if I could add another man to that list.

* * *

_The man feels! Who knew? Now we just have to hope that Bella gets her head our of her ass and starts seeing what we all see.. _

_Thank you so much to all of you who keeps reviewing and leaving me such wonderful feedback, you have no idea how much that means! _


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: S. Meyer owns Twilight.**

**Not much to say.. Just that I hope you enjoy the chapter :)**

**Chapter 11**

_Two weeks later._

"Emmett, could you pass me the Oreos?"

"You've already eaten all of them, Bells."

"Fuck… Could you hand me the cupcakes then?"

"Gone. You ate those during The Notebook."

"Oh, right. I don't know why Ryan Gossling always gives me cravings… Well, there has to be some Pepsi left at least? Hand me that, would you?"

"Nope. You drank the last when Carrie threw her bouquet on Big, and then you emptied the popcorn bowl."

"Emmett?"

"Yeah, Bells?"

"Am I getting fat?" I sat up straight in the couch, brushing the cookie crumbles off my shirt.

"Plushy is a better word." he chuckled, and then ducked as I threw the remote at his head.

I groaned, looking down at myself with critical eyes. I knew he was just fucking with me, but that didn't help the matter. I looked like shit, and that was the truth. My hair hadn't been washed in way too long, I was wearing the same sweatshirt and pyjama pants as I had been during the last five days, my nail polish was falling off and, well, I couldn't really say that I smelled like roses. Emmett had said that there was a reason he had chosen the spot the furthest away from me, and I was pretty sure it wasn't because he wanted a better view of the chaos that was his best friend.

Not even Nugget wanted to be close to me anymore. She was sleeping on Emmett's stomach, looking really happy about smelling something other than her un-showered pseudo mother.

I, Bella Swan, was officially grose. And why had all of this happened, you might ask? Yeah, well it all started out with a little, innocent note that was sent to me Monday two weeks ago. The day that I now referred to as Black Monday.

I had been sitting in my office, blissfully unaware about anything, when Cammie had knocked on my door and delivered an envelope. I had opened it while thinking about if I should call Edward or not, weighing the pros and cons of that decision. Little did I know that the decision had already been made for me.

I pulled the note out and started reading.

_Miss Swan._

_I am leaving town for a couple of days. Please see my assistant, Mr. Crowley, if you have any questions about anything concerning the apartment. He will be happy to answer them for you._

_Edward Cullen_

A couple of days… Fuck, I could handle a couple of days, I had thought. It wasn't like I was going to miss the guy who had brought so much complication into my life. Damn, it would probably feel like a vacation when I didn't have to worry about him showing up all the time. A couple of days was a piece of cake.

After 5 days I stopped shaving my legs.

After 8 days I skipped brushing my hair before I went to work.

After 10 days I began chewing on my nails.

After 13 days my body odor was worse than my aunt Fran's.

See where I'm going? I was falling apart because Edward Cullen didn't have the fucking decency to return from wherever the hell he was. That lying, pathetic, mind fucking piece of crap. 'A couple of days', yeah right. He was probably never coming home, so soon I would be able to leave my apartment because people would be running and screaming to get away from me. I would be known as the old lady who sat alone in her home, not showering, and waiting for her man to come and pull her out of the swamp that had appeared in the bathtub.

"You could just call him, you know." Emmett said, stroking Nugget's back as she purred.

I snorted, "I won't call that fucktard. He should be calling me. After all, he was the one who blabbered about how he wanted me and how he couldn't stop thinking about me and shit. If a guy can't stop thinking about you, shouldn't he remember to pick up the fucking phone and call?"

"I don't know. I haven't had a guy say that kind of stuff to me, to tell the truth."

"Fuck off." I sank back onto the couch, turning my gaze to the TV screen instead. Cameron Diaz had just returned to tell Jude Law that she wanted to stay with him in England.

Emmett sighed, "You're so-"

"Shush!" I said, holding up a hand to silence him. "This is a crucial moment, so be quiet."

He grunted a little but didn't continue.

"You didn't exactly ask me out, but you did say you loved me. So I'm thinking I have a date, if you'll have me." I spoke along with the character, totally in tune. Cameron was so fucking lucky, her guy wanted to be with her and he didn't leave for two weeks for no apparent reason and forgot to call her even once.

And now I was jealous of a fictional character. Just what was missing in my life.

"Could he be any more gorgeous?" I asked, dying a little at the sight of Jude Law. Now there was a man who was clearly trustworthy, loyal and probably called his girlfriend at least twice a day. Okay, okay, he'd been cheating on Sienna Miller with the nanny, but no one was perfect, right?

"Probably. A pair of tits and a little less facial hair would be a good start." Emmett chuckled.

"Yeah, cause then he would look like you." I retorted, rolling my eyes at him.

"Hey! I have a very manly chest, and Rose happens to like a clean shave."

I laughed and reached for the packet of gummy bears I just spotted under the table, noticing with frustration that it was empty. How long had it been under there, anyway?

I threw it back onto the floor, "Whatever floats your boat, chestman."

"You'd better be nice to me, Bells. If it weren't for me brining you food, you'd be starved by now." Emmett carefully lifted Nugget from his stomach and placed her on the couch instead, then got up and stretched his arms up.

"I know, I know. I appreciate it, I really do."

"So when are you going back to the office again?" he asked as he walked around the room, picking up empty cookie boxes and soda cans.

I turned on my stomach and watched as he cleaned, scratching my head. "Not sure. I have plenty of days saved up and since it'll take a while before we can begin working on the apartment I figured I might as well take some time off. Esmee thought it was a good idea."

"Probably because she didn't want someone to call the health service department and have you committed."

I lifted my arm and sniffed my armpit. "Is it really that bad?"

"Let's just say that I met Mrs. Dermot in the hallway and she asked me to tell you to make sure that there wasn't anything dying in here, like a rat or something."

Damn… How could it get this far? How could I let myself get this fucked up because of a guy? I had to get a grip, this had gotten out of control. Two weeks was all I would allow myself for mourning, and now I would move on. Yes, moving on it was! Pity it was a Monday, I could have used a drink to get me on the right track again. Fact is, I hadn't had a drop of alcohol since that sip of tequila two weeks ago. It was certainly a personal best, by far. But I figured I should just continue not drinking at least until the weekend, it was probably good for my body to have a little rehab time.

I groaned loudly, running my hands through my greasy hair, "Okay, fine. I'll take a fucking shower…"

Emmett dropped what he was holding to clasp his hands together, "Hallelujah!" he sang, and I couldn't help but to laugh. He was a pretty fucking good friend, after all. Rose and Alice had refused to watch any more chick flicks with me after we had seen Valentines day and I had went on and on about how I was sure that Edward was as big a scum as Patrick Dempsey, and that he was probably off visiting his wife that very moment.

Emmett, however, had watched 'How to lose a guy in 10 days' with me three times without complaining. Probably because he spent the entire time comparing his abs to Matthew McConaughey's, but still. He was a true friend, that one. If I ever felt like watching a chick flick, he was my go to guy. And I had being going to him pretty much for the last few days…

"Could you help me off the couch?" I groaned, stretching my arms out towards him, "My stomach hurts."

He snickered and grabbed hold of my hands, then pulled until I was standing upright.

"Jump into that shower and scrub away, Bells. Let me know if you need a spatula or something."

I sauntered off towards the bathroom, rubbing my stomach as I went.

30 minutes later, I left the bathroom as a whole new Bella. I figured I didn't have to feel guilty about taking such a long shower since I had been saving in on the water for a while. It felt fucking fantastic to be clean again. I had even washed between my toes and behind my ears, figuring I'd better be thorough after slacking for so long.

After throwing my comfy, and kind of foul smelling, clothes into the washer, I got dressed in a new pair of black yoga pants and a blue top. I towel dried hair hastily and than put it up into a ponytail before going back out into the living room.

Emmett was busy playing with Nugget, rolling bottle caps across the floor for her to chase. I giggled a little at the sight. Emmett looked quite comical where he sat on the mat, his legs outstretched and a huge grin on his face as he teased Nugget by hiding the cap under his foot. I left them to play and headed into the kitchen in search of something that wasn't covered in chocolate or sprinkles. My body probably needed a rehab from all the junk food as well, I decided.

I found an apple in the fridge and began chewing on it as I picked up my phone. If I was going out of mourning, I would need something to in to. A dinner out with my best friends sounded just perfect.

"Hey, Emmett?" I called, clicking away at my phone. I had a send a text to Alice even before Emmett answered.

"Yeah?"

"What do you say to a dinner out tonight? You, me, Alice and Rose?" I asked, finishing the next text and sending it to Rose. I headed in to the living room where Emmett was now lying on his stomach, watching Nugget as she played with a popcorn.

He looked up and grinned at me, "Sure, that sounds fun. Are you buying?"

I glared at him, "Fine. But you're getting the cheapest thing on the menu."

oOoOoOo

Later that night, we were all sitting together at one of my favorite restaurants, finishing our meals and chatting animatedly. Rose and Alice had been really eager to join, and they both took in my newly showered appearance with obvious relief.

"Seriously, Bella" Alice said as she put her fork down, having scraped her plate clean with it, "Don't you think you should call him and ask if he's back yet? I mean, what if he's been here for a week and you didn't even know?"

"Ugh, imagine if we went through watching all those horrible movies and ate all that crap for nothing?" Rose complained while downing the last of her wine.

I shrugged, "Why should I call? He should be the one calling me since-"

"Enough!" Emmett exclaimed all of a sudden, banging his fist on the table. I looked at him, wide eyed and shocked at his outburst.

"Emmett, what's wrong?" I asked, more than a little confused.

He shook his head in aggravation. He was glaring at me, and it made me nervous to see him so upset. It was definitely not normal Emmett behavior.

"When are you going to get it, Bella? The guy laid his fucking heart out there for you, telling you shit that he hadn't told anyone before, and you ran away from him. You keep saying that he hasn't called you, but you forget that you told me he called you 5 timed after you left his place. Is he supposed to chase you until you decide that you want to be caught? I know you have trust issues, and I respect that, but what has he ever done to make you think that you _can't_ trust him? Honestly?"

It was probably the longest speech I had ever heard from Emmett, and what was scary was that he was so fucking right. Well, until that last part anyway.

"He went home with that skank, Tanya, after Esmee and Carlisle party, and then they had lunch together two we-"

"Hold it." Alice interrupted, shaking her head, "Jasper said that he didn't go home with Tanya. He gave her a ride, and only after you left with James. Do you remember?"

I didn't have time to answer before Rose joined in, "And what do you mean he had lunch with her? _You_ were the one who practically forced him to do that, you told us that yourself."

"And for the record, he never even did that." Emmett said.

I frowned, "How the hell do you know?"

"Because he told me so."

"What the fuck, have you been talking to him?" I snapped, not liking this at all. It had intervention written all over it.

"Of course I have. He's my friend, Bells."

"And what am I, a duck?"

That broke the strange, uncomfortable tension that had spread around the table. We all started laughing, and I relaxed a little. Emmett was allowed to have friends, I knew that. And he wasn't obligated to report back to me what they talked about. I just wished he had told me sooner.

As the laughter quieted down, I sighed, fidgeting with the napkin in my lap. "You're right, all of you. I can't believe I haven't realized it sooner, I guess I was too deep in my pool of self-pitying to see shit straight."

They all nodded in agreement.

Annoying bastards.

"So… What are you gonna do?" Alice leaned forward eagerly, her eyes alight with excitement.

I shrugged, "I guess… Well, I guess I'm gonna call him, but I don't know what say or what to do..."

Rosalie rolled her eyes at me, looking for all the world as if she couldn't believe how slow I was. "Bella, tell him how you feel. It's not more complicated than that. And as for the 'do' part… He's a guy, you're a girl, I think you can figure it out."

oOoOoOo

I twisted my hands in my lap, looking down on them while I spoke, "It's like… I want to trust you, Edward. I really do, I promise. But I don't know if I'm gonna be able to, and it's not because of you or anything you've done or said, it's because I'm so fucked up. And when you said those things, I got scared because I think that if I allowed myself to fall for you and things ended badly, it would hurt so much more than if it had been anyone else."

"Mjau."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Too cheesy, right?" I sighed, scratching Nugget's stomach. She purred in contentment and rolled around in my lap, willing me to scratch under her chin instead.

"You're such a lazy troll, aren't you?" I cooed, burying my nose in her white, soft fur.

"Mjau."

"It's so nice to have a rewarding conversation for once, you know? You totally get me, Nugget. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Purrrr…."

"I agree. A soda would be perfect right now. Bring me a diet Pepsi, will you?" I said, leaning back against the couch.

Nugget didn't move.

I waited.

And waited.

And gave up.

Picking up the furboll, I held her in front of my face and gently rubbed my nose against hers. "You're cute, you don't smell bad, you're soft and you gladly listen to problems, but when it comes to fetching things, I think a dog would have been a better choice."

_Or a boyfriend._ Brain remarked sourly, tapping her foot against the floor.

Yeah, but a boyfriend would have been too lazy to get up and get a soda for me, so it was a moot point.

I put Nugget down and picked up my phone from the living room table. Maybe it was like pulling off a bandage, you just had to rip that shit off quickly and then it wouldn't hurt as much.

"I'm comparing telling a guy how I feel to ripping off a bandage. Good start…" I mumbled, scrolling down my contacts to find Edward. Nugget sat at my feet and looked up at me as if she was wondering what I was doing.

"It's called getting your shit together and acting like an adult." I grimaced, hovering with my index finger over the call button.

"Mjau." Nugget crooked her neck, still looking confused.

I bent down and stroked her back, smiling. "Don't worry, little Nugget. You don't have to care about that shit. I'm not letting any boys into this apartment until you turn 18."

Okay. This was it. Right now. I was going to do it.

I straightened up and stared at the screen showing Edward's name. If I just pushed that button, everything would change. If I pushed it, I would give him a chance to break me. If I pushed it, I willingly set myself up for disappointment. If I pushed…

_Enough with the ifs and the pushing_! Sex addict snarled, giving me an angry glare. She didn't care if heart got broken, or if brain would get fucked up. She just wanted to get fucked, period.

Finger decided to act by herself. She pushed the damn button before brain could react, and soon the dialing tone was heard.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…" I chanted, jumping up and down in panic. Nugget ran and hid under the couch, probably scared by her mom's freakish behavior.

I could still hang up. I could, I really could. If finger would just push the button, I could avoid-

"Edward Cullen."

Damn.

I couldn't speak. There were no fucking words available, none at all. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I stopped jumping.

"Hello?"

Double damn.

Why couldn't I speak? I chewed on my bottom lip and realized I was fucking sweating. Was it hot in here? Or was I on the verge of having a panic attack?

"Is there anyone there?"

Triple damn.

I hung up. I fucking hung up the bloody phone, and then stood there staring at it for what could have been hours. It was probably just a few seconds, but anyway. Sex addict and hoohah were giving me sour glances, moral and good judgment had taken their leave a long time ago and even brain and heart were looking at me with annoyance.

I guess it was guts that were messing with me now.

"God damnit, Bella. Get over yourself, will you?" I said to myself, and before I could regret it, I pushed the call button again.

"Hello?" he answered on the first ring, sounding a bit aggravated.

I cleared my throat, "Hi." was all that came out.

What? It was better than nothing…

"Hi…?"

"It's Bella. Bella Swan." I said, my voice a bit more steady now. My pulse was racing and my palms were sweaty as fuck, but I managed to hold on to the phone. Grose, I know. Thank god no one was around to see me, though they probably wouldn't recognize me right now.

"Did you just call me? And hung up?" Edward asked, and I realized he sounded a bit cold, not at all the way he used to speak to me. Damn, had I fucked this up or what?

"No." I blurted out, then continued before he could, "I was just calling to see how you were?"

"I'm fine."

See? He was as cold as a packet of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and not in a good way.

"Oh. Okay, great. Take care. Bye."

And I hung up again.

Seriously, I was way more messed up than I thought I was. That had to be one of the shortest conversations in the history of conversation.

"Fuck it, Nugget. If I can't give this guy a chance, or let him give me a chance or whatever, then who the fuck am I gonna give it to? It's not like anyone better than Edward Cullen is gonna come around, I'm pretty darn sure of that." I sat down against the wall, banging my head into it a few times. Why couldn't I talk to him? Why couldn't I tell him how I felt? Maybe it was because I didn't know how I felt, and that's why the words didn't come out.

"Get a grip." I said to myself, then jumped slightly as the phone buzzed in my hand. It was him, of course. I took a steadying breath, stealing myself for what would come.

"Hi." I mumbled into the phone, feeling those damn butterflies doing their dance again. I didn't bother beating them down this time, since I knew it wouldn't work anyway.

"Would you mind telling me why you were _really_ calling me, Bella?" Edward asked, sounding a bit less cold now.

Something happened then, something I would never be able to fully explain or understand. I guess that heart finally had enough. She wanted to be seen, heard and cared for. I'm pretty sure she was tired of always hiding in the back while sex addict sat in the front seat and steered the car wherever the fuck she felt like going. Maybe she had forgotten, or chosen to forget, what the big break had felt like.

Whatever the reason, I found myself opening my mouth to answer him, with no idea what words to say until they were already out there.

"I'm falling for you, Edward."

Was silence always this loud? I felt like my ears were hurting from the volume of it, and I desperately, desperately, wanted to take back the words I had spoken. How could I have been so stupid, so fucking insane to have said those words to him? I should hang up the phone, quit my job, sell the apartment and move to Aruba and work in a sewing factory under a new name. Yes, that's what I should do. I shouldn't sit here and listen to this piercing silence any longer, I should just forget that I ever said it.

"Me too."

I frowned, "You too what?"

Edward sighed, "Oh, Bella, for someone so smart, you can be a bit obtuse from time to time."

"What the hell? Are you calling me stupid?" I spat at him. Well, I had called myself stupid just a minute ago, but that didn't mean he could.

"No, I'm not calling you stupid. I'm telling you that I am falling for you too."

"Oh." Total face palm moment right there… "Wow. That's… I mean, good." I stumbled over my own tongue as I tried to form a coherent sentence. Brain couldn't really comprehend what had just happened, she was looking from heart to sex addict in confusion, not sure what she was supposed to do.

Edward chuckled, and it instantly made me relax. I realized that I had missed that sound.

"Yeah, good." he paused, "What are you doing tonight?"

"You?" I said, wiggling my eyebrows even though he couldn't see me.

He sighed, and I could almost see him shaking his head in exasperation. Damn, and I hadn't even begun to get vulgar yet. What was up with him?

"Bella. I want to take you out on a real date."

Without sex? How did one do that?

"You mean with a dinner, candlelight's, flowers and the whole package?" I asked. I could actually see the whole thing now, and it looked fucking nice.

"Yes, the whole package. I might even throw in a movie, but I don't trust neither you nor me to keep our hands to ourselves if we sit together in a dark room." he snickered, and I couldn't help but to smile a goofy, huge smile at the phone.

"I don't need a dark room to put my hands on you, you know."

"So I've noticed…"

"Do I sense a little bitterness in your tone? Do you mean to say that you don't want my hands on you?"

"Oh, Bella… You have no idea, do you?" he groaned, and the sound sent a trickle of excitement through my body. This was more like the way we used to speak, and I kind of preferred it that way. I didn't regret having said what I did, but I didn't want this to turn into some mushy, touchy feely conversation. I was definitely not that kind of girl, not by far. Say it once and then move on. There was nothing worse than people who walked around all day, proclaiming their eternal love for each other. If you loved someone, tell them and then they'll know. Okay, a reminder might be nice once in a while, but if you say it too often it loses its meaning.

"I think I might have some idea…" I walked over to the couch and fell down on it, swinging my legs over the armrest. "So you're saying I can't touch you at all?"

He laughed, "You will never hear those words from me, I promise."

"Good. 'Cause you've been gone for quite some time now, Mr. Cullen, and I have some touching up to do."

"I've been home for over a week."

I knew it!

I frowned at Nugget who was watching me, her little head sticking out from under the couch I was lying on. "I didn't know."

"You didn't call." he said simply, and I was glad that he didn't sound angry or anything.

"You didn't call either."

"I didn't think you'd pick up. You ran out on me, remember?"

I hesitated, sensing that this might turn mushy anyway. "Erm… You kind of surprised me. I didn't know what to say and then my flight reaction set in."

He chuckled at that, lifting the mood. "You are so different from anyone I've ever met, you know that? How many women out there have a flight reaction connected to when a man says he wants her?"

"Probably just one…" I mumbled, "I'm gonna try to not throw the phone out the window if you want to try and say it again…"

Wow, Bella Swan begging for assurance that a guy likes her. Now there's something you don't see every day.

Edward sighed, but I could tell he was smiling. How I could tell? Fuck if I know, it just sounded as if he wasn't pissed.

"I'm more afraid you won't show up to our date." he said, and I rolled my eyes.

"We're a little past that now, aren't we?" I picked up Nugget from the floor and placed her on my stomach, tickling her behind her ear. "I promise I'll show up, just as long as I can pick the restaurant."

"What? No way, I'm the one asking you out, therefore I'm the one who makes all the decisions." he argued.

I snorted, "I don't think so, Mr. Cullen. If you want me to be there, you'd better leave the decision making up to me."

"Never."

"You're one stubborn man, aren't you?"

"Haven't you noticed?"

I sighed, trying not to snap at him. I was used to calling all the shots, getting bossed around wasn't something I cared for.

_Wow, Bella. You're calling getting asked out on a date being bossed around? _My subconscious remarked, a bit sourly.

Damn, that bitch is right…

"Okay." I said, deciding to try and be diplomatic about the whole thing. "You can pick the place, but I pick the time."

That was really quite a stretch for a control freak like me, and I hoped he would appreciate it.

Edward snickered, probably smug that he had won this one. "Okay, Miss Swan. What time shall I pick you up?"

The door bell rang. I picked Nugget up and walked towards the door as I spoke. "Well, it's already pretty late and I'm really bored. Pick me up in 20 minutes or I'm going without you."

"I'll be there in 19." he said, and I smiled at the phone.

"You'd better be…"

"I'll see you soon then."

I hung up, smiling hugely as I put the phone in my back pocket and reached for the door. As I opened it, I felt a chill go through me. A sudden sense of unease swept over me, and I had no idea why.

Not until the door was opened and I stared up into a pair of dark eyes that I hadn't seen in so long, except for in my nightmares.

Nugget squirmed out of my loose grasp and jumped down, running back into the apartment as if she knew who it was standing in the doorway.

My past had come back to haunt me, and it was standing on my threshold, waiting to be let it.

"Hello, Bella." he said, grinning in his usual way. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

I could hardly believe my eyes.

Jacob Black was here.

* * *

Damn.. And things were going so well. As always, please let me know what you think! You're reviews are my fuel for writing.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Slowly working through my writersblock.. And I do mean slowly. Can't seem to find my words anymore, and it bugs me to no end since my head is practically exploding from all the different ideas that keep popping up. I've written more than half of the next chapter on ALL my stories, but I can't finish for some reason. Quite annoying I must say. But I'll keep trying and hopefully I'll be able to post them all soon! This one is quite short, but I figured it was better than nothing...**

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**Chapter 12**

I stood frozen with my hand on the doorknob, staring at him.

He stared back, and slowly his grin turned knowing, calculating. I could see that he noticed how he affected me, and since I knew him so well, his expression scared me.

"Bella, don't you know that it's rude not to greet your old friends? You should be smiling and asking me to enter, shouldn't you?" he said, shaking his head slightly as if in disappointment.

I try to swallow, but my throat is too dry. I can feel my hands start to tremble. Why is he here? Why now? I'm not ready for this, I don't know how to be strong when he's here. He pushed me around, he abused my trust and he broke me. I never thought I could be broken, but Jacob Black had managed that task.

He seemed to be tired of my silence. Without another word, he stepped forward and almost shoved me into the wall as he entered my apartment. I fell back helplessly, my body feeling numb and vulnerable.

"So this is where you ran off to… I'm impressed, I thought you'd end up on the streets or in a mental institution by the way you looked when I last saw you." He closed the door behind him, not even looking at me.

_When he last saw me… Yes, I remember that too. He was fucking the brains out of Lauren in our bed. That memory is forever imprinted in my brain._

He walked around my apartment, inspecting everything with raised eyebrows. Nugget was nowhere to be seen. I guessed she was hiding under my bed. Lucky cat…

I didn't know what to say or what to do, I was still in so much shock. It was probably best that I didn't speak, anyway. Knowing Jacob, he was here because he wanted something from me. I had been such an idiot when we were together, I had chosen to look the other way and not see the evidence of his cheating even though they were right in front of me. I had been young, foolish and in love. He had been the bad guy who would always smile and give me glances whenever I walked past him in the halls at school. When he had asked me out on a date, I said yes without blinking. Jacob was really gorgeous back then, probably the most handsome guy in Forks.

With his black hair, brown, smooth skin and muscular body, he was on the top of all the girl's wish lists. And I had been so happy when he had chosen me to be his girlfriend, not knowing that Jacob didn't have one monogamous bone in his body. He had used me to have someone to fuck regularly, without having to go through the trouble of calling someone over or leave the house to get some. After his father had past away, Jacob had been left with the house. I moved in there not long after we had started going out.

As I said, I was young and stupid.

Looking at him now, I couldn't for the life of me remember what I had ever seen in him. His hair, which had once been so shiny and soft was now long, it hung down to his shoulders and looked as if it hadn't been washed in weeks. He wasn't at all as muscular anymore. He was still big, but it wasn't muscles now. His stomach pouted, a sure evidence that he had since long quit the baseball team that he had been captain of back in the days. By the looks of it, he now spent his time on the couch, watching other people play.

But it wasn't just that, it was also his face. So many of his attractive features had vanished, he looked older than his age, which I would never had thought since he had always had such a young, gorgeous face. But now? Let's just say that I wouldn't have looked twice if I had passed him on the street. He reminded me of those old, drunken men who hung out in the parks late at night, drinking vodka straight from a bottle. He was probably here because he couldn't even get girls to take interest in him anymore, and he believed that I, little blue eyed Bella, would never be able to refuse him.

Jacob sat down on my couch, leaning back and putting his dirty shoes on my coffee table.

Still, I said nothing. I just stared at him, wishing with all my might that Edward would come.

"So, what are you up to these days?" his question took me off guard. He sounded almost polite, despite the fact that he had forced himself into my home and was now soiling my table cloth with his boots.

I tried to swallow again, and this time I was successful.

"I… I'm an interior designer." I choked out. I wanted to kick myself for being so weak, but I didn't have the strength.

"How fancy. Bet you make a ton of money, right? Maybe I should have kept you after all."

He rose from the couch and walked towards me. I backed up against the wall, my heart beating a frantic tattoo as he approached.

I could smell the alcohol on his breath as he leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "You look good, Bella. Perhaps, if you're still as crazy in bed as you used to be, we can have a little fun here tonight…"

I tried so fucking hard not to vomit. His long, greasy locks brushed against my naked shoulder, causing me to flinch away.

"Jacob stop." I don't know where it came from, but I was freaking glad that courage seemed to have returned. She had been dearly missed, especially since brain had taken a leave of absence and heart was hiding under the bed next to Nugget.

He leaned back and looked me in the eyes, a disbelieving expression on his face. "What? Bella, we both know that you've never said 'no' in your entire life. I didn't even know you were familiar with that word."

"I don't want this. Please go." I pleaded, turning my head to the side and breathing through my mouth so that I wouldn't have to smell his disgusting breath.

I flinched as I felt his hand on my waist, tugging me forward. "Go? But I've only just arrived. Surely you wouldn't want the love of your life to go without reliving some memories, right? You owe me, Bella. You just walked out on me without saying a word, which was not very polite as you might realize. I think you have some things to make up for, wouldn't you agree?"

I put my hand on his chest in a feeble attempt to push him away. He didn't budge an inch. He might not be muscular, but he was big as fuck.

"Please." I said again, my voice barely audible. I didn't wasn't sure what he was capable of doing, I didn't know this Jacob. He honestly scared the shit out me.

I thought of Edward again, silently praying for him to come sooner than planned. What had it been since we hung up the phone? 10 minutes? 15?

Jacob didn't seem to notice that I was shaking from head to toe. He grinned as he ran his hand up and down my side, causing another wave of nausea. Perhaps if I vomited on him, he would leave me alone.

"You don't have to beg, honey. I know exactly what you like, and I'm here to give it to you." he lifted his other hand to touch my face. "After you give me what I like, of course."

I cringed as his rough, cold fingers ran along my cheek. I wanted to yell or run or do anything, but I felt so small, so weak. His returned had brought back all the uncertainties that I had worked so hard on getting rid of.

"Don't be nervous, Bells. I'm sure you haven't had any training since back when you were with me, but I won't give you a hard time if you don't remember how it's done." He leaned in, his lips only inches from my face, his revolting smell surrounding us.

I couldn't fucking let him do this. I couldn't be this frail little girl who let him come into her home and molest her like this. I was strong, I was so god damn much stronger now. I had just temporarily forgotten that I was Bella Swan. I didn't take shit from men.

A knock on the door startled me, and it made Jacob jerk his head up.

"Expecting company?" he asked. His hands were still on me, but he had stilled his movements.

I turned to face him, "Yes. My boyfriend." Okay, so Edward wasn't even close to being my boyfriend, but fuck it if Jacob had to know that. I was so over this shit. I shrugged his hands off me, and he straightened, obviously taken aback by the surprise visitor.

"Boyfriend?" he raised an eyebrow. "Well would you look at that. Someone else took pity on you and allowed you to suck their cock for them?"

Maybe it was because I was so tired of being a wreck because of him, or maybe it was because of Edward's presence, but for whatever reason, I was suddenly able to push all those choking feelings aside and dig up a side of me that I had known was in there, somewhere. I could feel all the pent up anger inside me boil, I was so fucking close to my breaking point. And not breaking as in breaking down crying, but as in an explosion of fury. I wanted to cause this worthless, repulsive creature as much pain as he had caused me. The weakness turned to strength, the uncertainties to rage.

"Fuck you, Jacob Black." I spat.

He laughed, surprised by my sudden change in tone. Then he stared down at me, his hands once again reaching out to take my waist.

"So tell me… Your boyfriend, what does he taste like when you blow him?" his voice was low, menacing.

I stood straight, pushing his hands off me as I stared straight into his eyes. "He tastes like you, but sweeter."

And then I did what I should have done the second I saw him standing outside my door. Without hesitating, I grabbed his shoulders and then used the leverage to work up as much force as possible as I kneed him in the groin.

"Aaaargh!" he screamed as his knees gave out, tumbling to the floor with his hands over his crotch. "You fucking bitch!"

Before I had time to decide whether to open my mouth and yell back or to kick him, I saw Edward in my peripheral vision. He stood frozen in the doorway for one more second, taking in the scene before him. Then he took three large strides forward, grabbed hold on Jacob's jacket and pulled him upright.

I don't think I've ever seen anything as terrifying as the look in Edward's eyes as he glared at Jacob. Jake's feet were practically not even touching the floor. Edward had him in hanging by the neck.

"If you ever put your hands on her again, I will hunt you down and finish what she started. Which means that you will not be able to walk, fuck or sit down for the rest of your miserable life. Do you understand?" his voice, so low that I almost had to strain to hear it, was somehow even more threatening than if he had been screaming from the top of his lungs. The cold, collected stance of which he carried himself was far more frightening than anything I had ever encountered. And I had seen some pretty scary shit in my days.

I swallowed hard, waiting for Jacob's response.

When it came, his voice was so different from what it used to be. He sounded like a little boy again, like someone who was so fucking scared that they'd probably pee their pants any minute now. God damn, if he were to do that here in my apartment…

"I…I understand." Jacob choked out, his face beginning to turn purple from the lack of oxygen. If Edward didn't let him down soon, he'd strangle him.

Not that I cared.

Edward kept his eyes staring into Jacob's as he slowly lowered him back onto the floor, and then he grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door. An impressive feat since Jacob's arms were as huge as ever, but then again, Edward's hands were also huge…

_Focus!_ Brain bitch slapped hoohah and sex addict who were both conjuring up images of other 'huge' parts of Edward's anatomy.

In typical Bella fashion, I was already pretty much over this little drama and ready to move on to more interesting and rewarding activities. By crushing Jacob's balls, I had been able to release some of the pent up anger and hatred I felt towards him. But if there was one thing I had leaned over the years, it was that it did no good to dwell on uncomfortable and depressing things, it was better to accept them and then find something better to focus on. Okay, I would probably have to think about Jacob's return later on, but I preferred living by the clever saying "never do today what you can postpone until tomorrow." Freaking out and cursing Jacob Black in every language I knew could definitely want until tomorrow. Right now, I was way more interested in the plans I had originally made for this evening.

I heard the front door slam, and realized I had gotten lost in my own Edward fantasies once again. He was standing in front of me now, his expression so different from 30 seconds ago that he almost didn't even look like the same man.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft, tentative.

I took a step forward so that I could put my hands around his neck. "I'm fine." I said, burying my fingers in his hair. "Thank you for that."

He scowled at me, as if questioning my honesty. "You're fine? After what just happened, you say that you're fine? Shouldn't you be crying and shaking and begging me to call the cops or something?"

I laughed, which only worked to confuse him further. "Edward, there's one thing you have to learn about me if this," I released a hand from his neck and motioned between us, "is going to work."

"What's that?"

"I'm not like other girls."

Reaching up on my toes, I placed a feather light kiss on his cheek before taking his hand and leading him with me towards my bedroom. I was done waiting, done teasing, done competing. He had just proved to be so much more than just a casual flirt or a fuck buddy. He was my white knight in shining armor, and I was more than ready to give him the key to my castle…

* * *

_I'm sorry about that last line, it just lay there so I had to go for it ;) I have some rec's for you all, since I've read quite a few good stories lately!_

**The Weight of Words by georgeygirl - **This is the first story I've read all the way to the end since I found Master of the Universe in May last year. After that one, no other story has been able to keep my interest for more than a few chapter, but this one... I can't tell you how much I love it, everything it so amazing! The writing, the characters, the storyline... I stayed up until 5 in the morning to read this, it's truly addictive! Teacher/student romance when it's at its very best...

**The Plan by QuantumFizzx - **Just in case someone out there has managed to miss this story, I have to mention it here. Written in real time, witty, captivating and a real page turner, The Plan is one of the sexiest and funniest fics I've encountered. Bossy boss and an personal assistand who has decided to do everything to get him to notice her..

And a non-fanfic rec; **The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - **Have you read this? If you have, you know why I have to rec it. Seriously the best book since Twilight, it too has that extra something that makes you forget about sleep, food, family, showers.. Yeah, you get my point. You'll start living in this story, experiencing everything along with the characters in an almost scary way. It's extraordinary! A frightening future where 24 kids are thrown into an arena to fight to the death, and only one can survive. Oh, and everything is being broadcasted..

As always, thank you so much for reviewing and helping me not lose my love for writing. You're all amazing!


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